A Dangerous Game
by SecondWind20
Summary: Suddenly, my hands were forced above my head and he took a step towards me. I was about to protest when the look in his eyes shocked me into silence. Itachi leaned over me and whispered into my ear. “You don’t have a choice Suma.” M for language. ITAXOC
1. First Impressions

"Who's there?!" I yelled to the air. I was on my way back to the small village and could have kicked myself. I should have stayed at the last village when it got dark, but no. I had to be a stubborn idiot! "Quit screwing around, I don't have time!" Still nothing.

I huffed in anger and crossed my arms. I have always had trouble keeping my emotions in check and it usually got me into a lot of trouble. But, this time felt different and I was pretty sure that I hadn't pissed anyone off lately. Suddenly a clocked figure raced towards me. Damnit.

The person attempted to kick me in the chest so I had to jump out of the way. They went still all of a sudden and I got a good look at them. He or she was pretty tall and meaty. A high collared cloak and large straw hat prevented me from getting a peek at their face. But I knew that I had never met them before.

"Is there a reason that you are attacking me?" I asked and received a low grunt as an answer. Great, a quiet one. I was about to insult him when another voice rang out in the quiet night.

"That's enough Kisame. It's her." The voices owner appeared behind the large man in an instant. He wasn't wearing a hat so I could see his emotionless face. He was very handsome but something about him was frightening. Like he could snap at any moment and kill someone. I didn't want to be that someone so I had better start thinking of an escape plan. The two before me stood about 5 feet apart and were both staring intently at me.

"Who the hell are you?" I yelled as my plan began to form. Just…then…YES!

"Nice mouth for a lady!" The taller one said laughing quietly. Took his hat off and reveled his blue-grey face to me.

"Nice face for a guy!" I snapped back. He glared at me and I could see a killing intent in his eyes. Too bad my plan was almost done.

"Why you little bit.." A look from the black haired man forces Kisame to stop his insult. He instead pulled a large and dangerous sword from his back. Pointing it at me, the shark-like man growls. I glare back at him: I've seen swords before, felt them too.

"Miahizo Suma, I've come with a proposition." The shorter man announced. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and my blood froze. He knew my name…my full name. My thoughts for escape were pushed away as new questions filled my head.

"How do you know my name?!" I whispered harshly. I didn't deny it, I couldn't deny it, but I sure as hell was going to get answers.

"That is none of your concern." He said simply causing my blood to boil. "We were sent to ask if…"

"It's my name so I demand an answer!" A strange look fell onto the man's face and Kisame stiffened slightly. Uh oh, bad move.

"Demand?" He asked slowly, as if he hadn't heard it. But that wasn't possible; I yelled it pretty loudly. I attempted to swallow the lump of fear that had risen in my throat as I looked at the man. His red eyes stared into my green ones and I couldn't look away. I blinked slightly and he was gone. And then the cool feeling of a kunai at my throat alerted me to his position. He was behind me, his right hand at my jugular with the unforgiving steel, his left hand painfully clutching my left arm. It was most definitely bruising.

"Weaklings don't make demands." His warm breath tickled my neck and my heart raced with fear. "We've come to offer you a position with the Akatsuki."

My eyes narrowed at this but I couldn't move as the razor-sharp metal was still at my pale neck. I knew what the Akatsuki were; a group of missing-nin, of deadly s-rank ninja. Why they wanted me was beyond my understanding at the moment.

"You've got to be kidding me." I breathed, afraid to speak too loudly. "This isn't a funny joke you know."

"What makes you think that I'm joking?" It was a demand, not a question. The kunai remained in its place.

"Why would the Akatsuki want me?" Something jumped to the front of my mind. The Akatsuki took on missions for money, even if they were a private organization. Fuck. "NO! He sent you didn't he!" I began to struggle, not caring about the kunai, and the man tightened his grip on me.

"Stop." I froze as a new found panic filled my body. "We are here on Akatsuki business. This is our own affair. Our leader sees…potential in you." Yeah sure.

I figured that now was as good a time as any to throw my plan into action. With a swift movement and my free arm, I elbowed the man in the side and his grip loosened slightly. Spinning around quickly I loaded chakra into my feet, planning to sprint away. With cold eyes the man used amazing strength and plowed me into the ground. His knees were on either side of my slight body and he had my hands above my head, holding them with one hand as he positioned his kunai at my throat again.

"Not good enough girl." His face so close to mine I could feel his warm breath again.

"Get off!" I demanded through clenched teeth. A smirk fell onto his lips as his eyes looked through mine, seemingly to my soul.

"…Another demand…foolish…" The kunai sliced through my black pants and into my skin. I grimaced but kept my composure. I could deal with pain, I have for all my life. "Now… about our proposition…"

"Fuck you!" I yelled with venom. His eyebrows lifted slightly into what could be seen as small amusement. "I won't go!" The kunai dug in deeper and I gasped in pain.

"It really isn't your choice girl." Kisame said. I struggled a bit but the red-eyed man held me tightly. His face was still very close and a thought struck me. As much as I didn't want to…it was required. I wouldn't be sent back, not yet. And I was sick of this Akatsuki bull crap.

"Itachi, just knock her out so we can leave. I'm thirsty." Itachi, the red-eyed man, ignored his partner and just stared at me.

"Are you going to come quietly or asleep? Either way, you are coming with us." His voice was smooth and low and I found it hard to think. However, the idea of being sent back snapped me out of my daze. I closed my eyes and nodded my head. I felt his light weight lift from me and after I though that he had turned away I slipped off my glove. As silently as possible I stood up and looked at Itachi's retreating form. Then quick as lighting my white hand shot at his face. To anyone watching, it would have looked like I was trying to stroke his face, but the second my skin would touch his I would….

He turned around and I was slammed against a tree. He was glaring into my eyes and looked very angry. I was in trouble…

"If you ever try that again, I will kill you. Understood?" His voice wasn't loud, but it chilled my bones. He knew what I was trying to do and was able to stop it. His hands were forcing my elbows into the tree and his weight kept me still. I looked at him in shock and my thick black bangs fell over my eyes. "Are you going to come quietly?" He asked again. I should say yes, I should beg him to spare me, I should remain silent. I should do a lot of things, but instead my mouth got in the way.

"Never." My chin was jerked up and I stared into red eyes with turning black pinwheels. I was out cold before I could even gasped in surprise.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

My head ached, my muscles throbbed and my mind raced. I opened my eyes and found myself in a large black bed. Sitting up I realized that everything in this room was black. The wooden floors, the drapes, the two doors, even the small closet in the corner. I swung my feet to dangle off the bed and winced in pain. My leg was wrapped in white tape where the kunai had pierced me. When I noticed this, I also noticed that I wasn't wearing any pants. I also was not wearing my old dark green top, instead I was sitting a large black button up shirt. They kidnapped me…and undressed me.

A furious red blush crept to my face and I fumed at the thought. Before I could step onto the cold wood floor the door to my left opened and the bastard that brought me here walked in. He glanced down at me and I glared up. An awkward silence filled the rather large room.

"Well?" I asked with as much poison I could muster. He stared down at me with no expression.

"…." Great…a silent one…

"Are you going to explain why I'm here?"

"…."

"Can you tell me where here is?"

"….."

"Why did you bandage my leg?" He just kept staring and I was getting seriously pissed. I broke his stare and looked for something to hold my attention. A flash of light caught my eyes and I looked down at my wrists. With narrowed eyes I lifted my right wrist and turned it this way and that. A thick black band was attached to both of my wrists. It had no special markings, no jewels. They looked almost like bracelets, but I knew that they were not.

They were chains.

"What the hell is this?!" I shoved my black laden wrists into his general direction but his gaze didn't waver form my face.

"I put them on last night." He said simply. I glared at him with as much hatred as I could muster, which was a lot…

"Why?!" He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"They are to prevent you from escaping. I think it to be idiotic with me here, but Pein insists." I didn't really understand what he said, but I got the gist of it. They really were chains and with them on, I had no hope of a break out. So they kidnapped me, undressed me, and chained me. Talk about first impressions. Itachi walked to the door and opened it. Then he turned back to me with a bored look on his face. Oh the arrogance.

"…Follow me."

"No."

Silence filled the room as Itachi stared at me. I glared back.

"Now." It was an order and the tone he used to give it chilled my bones. But I was too angry to care.

"No." My back was pushed harshly into the bed and Itachi leaned over me, hands clutching the sheets on either side. His eyes were piercing but I held the stare.

"I do not ask requests girl." His voice was steely but mesmerizing. "The next time you decide to say something insolent, you will be punished. Know your place weakling!" I bit my lip as I felt his warm breath on my face. I was afraid.

Itachi straightened his back and walked to the door. I was still in shock so I stupidly didn't follow him. Suddenly, the chains around my wrists began to glow white and I felt an invisible force harshly jerking me off the bed. As I was forcefully pulled from the room I noticed that the chains were controlled by chakra strings. I had a gut feeling about who the chakra belonged to and shuddered.

After a few minutes of silently walking down a bare hallway, he stopped and I followed in suit. Itachi swiftly opened the door and, grabbing my arm, pushed me into total darkness. The door closed silently and I could sense Itachi in the room behind me. There was someone else in there with us, but I didn't know who.

"Miahizo Suma. Welcome." A low voice filled the room and I winced at my name being called. "I'm glad to hear that you have accepted our invitation to the Akatsuki. You will make a very powerful addition to our organization." I held my wrists together in front of me and looked around the room. It was too dark to see even my own hands.

"I didn't." I said quietly.

"Excuse me?" The voice sounded intrigued. As if it hadn't heard me right. I cleared my throat before continuing.

"I'm not joining the Akatsuki. I am humbled by the offer, but I must decline it." It was silent in the dark room and I think that I have just signed my death note.

"…I see…Suma-san, I don't think you understand. I am offering you a chance at power, a chance at freedom. I am giving you a great gift." I bit my lip and started to think about what he was saying. Freedom…power...

"And what do you want in return?" I asked wearily.

"Loyalty. And that is all." I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. My plans were going to be delayed, but really, I had no other options.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" My voice was soft but sharp at the injustice of it all. Pein chuckled.

"No, you don't." I hung my head in defeat and could feel my chains being tugged at. Silently, I followed Itachi out of the door and back into the room I had woken up in. Once the door closed I instantly punched the wall in anger, most likely breaking my hand. My right hand throbbed and I silently cursed everything I could think of. I glanced up and found Itachi staring at me with a strange expression on his face.

"What the hell do you want?!"

"…why did you punch the wall?" A genuine question. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Because I'm angry." I stupidly announced.

"…why are you angry?" I stared at the beautiful man with furrowed eyebrows.

"Because I've been taken against my will!" I was gaining volume and starting to rant. Itachi just watched me as I paced towards him and back. Over and over. "I've been turned into a prisoner! And you bastards are completely demeaning!!" I walked toward Itachi another time and was turning to pace back when I felt the chains tugging. He was pulling me over to him and, try as I may, I couldn't stop from walking to him.

"Stop it!" I yelled, but it was no use. He looked down at me with no expression and I hated him for it.

"You are a prisoner. But only for a while. After we've trained you, you will no longer be chained. But I suggest you keep your mouth in check until that day." His voice was soft and almost warm. I pulled myself away from him and put my hands on my hips.

"…..it's late. You should sleep. Your training begins in the morning."

"Training? What training?" He looked at me and I knew that he wasn't going to answer. With a sigh of exasperation I stood and waited for him to leave the room. He, however, didn't move an inch. "Ummm. Get out…" He stared at me, face unreadable, "Please?" The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

"This is my room." My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.

"No way! I demand another room! Instantly!"

"Prisoners don't make demands." I glared at him and glanced at the only bed in the room. He wasn't going to let me have it, that was for sure, and there was no way in hell that I was going to share with him.

"Th-This is inappropriate! I will n-not share a room with the likes of you!" I yelled in his face. Suddenly, my hands were forced above my head and he took a step towards me. I was about to protest when the look in his eyes shocked me into silence. He leaned over me and whispered hotly into my ear.

"You don't have a choice Suma." He then backed away and looked me over. After a few minutes he released his hold on my wrists and they dropped to my sides. I turned swiftly around and found a corner in the room farthest from the bed.

"Itachi." I could feel his stare on my back and I took a deep breath. "If you touch me again without permission, I will kill you."

"Is that a threat?" He seemed amused. I walked to the corner and glared back at him.

"Absolutely." I then slid to the floor and, with my back leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes. I couldn't see the smirk that had fallen across his lips.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

My wrists were pulled up sharply and I forced my eyes open. My mind wasn't functioning properly yet, so when I looked up and saw a beautiful man above me, I just blinked at him. Another tug on my wrists brought me to my senses and my feet.

"What the hell?!" I croaked. I was parched and my voice showed it. Itachi gave me a glance and walked out into the hall.

"The kitchen is the 1st door on the left. Your clothes are in the bathroom. Change and be out in 5 minutes." I glared at him as he walked away and once he was out of my sight I slammed the door as hard as I could. It was childish but I stuck my tongue out at the closed door. In all reality, that was about the only defiant thing that I could do at the moment. With a sigh I walked into the bathroom.

'My clothes' were no where in sight. In stead, I found a set of black clothes and a pitch black cloak hanging on the door. Itachi was wearing his red-cloud coat, so I figured that this one was mine. The black top was a tight fitting v-cut with long sleeves. The pants were black also and bunched up at the ankle. I opted for my old, dark green shoes instead of the classic black ones given to me. After my black gloves were on I looked at myself in the large mirror, which stood opposite the door. To the left was a large above ground wooden bathtub and to the right was a stone shower with a glass door.

When I saw myself I widened my eyes. In all black I looked extremely pale but, somehow very mature. My short black bob, in addition to the new outfit, made me look 20 something rather than my truthful 17. I pushed my side-bangs away from my face but, like always, they fell right back into place. Taking the cloak down from the door, I slipped my arms through and tied it in the front. I looked back into the mirror and choked on a laugh. The cloak was way to long and I looked like I was drowning in fabric. With my teeth I was able to tear the bottom of the fabric and I ripped off about 4 inches from the bottom. It left the cloak tattered and shabby looking but at least I could walk in it now. I folded the high collar over and rolled the sleeves a few times. When my gloved hands finally resurfaced I took a final look at my reflection. I was a new person now.

Out in the bare hallway, I found the 1st door on my left and entered. This room looked like a normal kitchen and I was glad. At least I was until I saw three cloud-cloaked men staring at me from the large table in the middle. Actually, there were 4 men at the table, but Itachi didn't look up when I entered. I stood in the door way and stared back. Nobody moved, nobody spoke and I was dying of awkwardness. I was about to turn and run back to Itachi's room when a girly looking man with blonde hair rose form his chair.

"Hello un, You must be Miahizo-san, yeah. I'm Deidara." He smiled flirtatiously at me and I narrowed my eyes. "This is Tobi-baka and Kisame."

"I know Kisame." I stated, remembering the punch in the stomach. He flashed a sharp-toothed smile and winked at me.

"Nice to see you too girl." I crossed my arms and glared at him causing him to laugh loudly. "Easy girl. We're teammates now!"

"Don't remind me." I walked over to a counter and started to rummage through the cabinets, looking for something to eat.

"Miahizo-san doesn't want to be Akatsuki?" A masked man asked in a childish voice. "That doesn't sound right to Tobi. And Tobi knows what is right because Tobi is a good boy!" I pulled couldn't find anything in the cupboards so I went to the fridge.

"Now Tobi, maybe the girl would rather be home, cooking and cleaning. Where women belong." Kisame said loudly causing me to turn around and glare at him.

"Listen up idiots! My name is Suma! Not Miahizo-san and NOT girl!! And it isn't my decision to be here, so you can all shut the hell up!" After a few seconds of shocked silence Deidara and Kisame started to laugh loudly. I was about to punch them both in the head when Itachi stood up and walked to the door.

"Lets go girl." He didn't even look at me as he gave the command.

"I haven't eaten yet!" I argued. He turned and gave me a chilling glare. One of the corners of his mouth was up in a mocking smirk.

"That's your own fault. Next time eat instead of picking a fight."

"I didn't pick the fight! I was.." I didn't finish because my wrists were painfully jerked toward Itachi. He walked out of the room and I was forced to follow, arms first. The last thing I heard was Deidara's mocking voice.

"I like that one. She's got spirit. Too bad Itachi's gonna break it." I made a mental note to break Deidara's pretty nose the next time I saw him. If I survived this first training session.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I was led to a large and bare room. There were many cracks in the walls and many craters in the floor. I was gonna guess that this was their training room. The only window was a large square one in the center of the ceiling. Itachi turned and faced me when he was about 6 feet away.

"Today, we are just going to spar. Pein wants to see how much work you are going to require." I gave him a look of contempt and he glared back. "Don't worry. I'll hold back. No need to kill you…yet."

"Wow. Thanks for being so considerate." I scoffed. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips but disappeared before I could catch it. He took a fighting stance and I followed in suit. I already knew that I was not going to beat him, at least without my curse. But I was going to punch and kick as hard as I could and it was going to feel so good. I smiled a bit at that thought and he attacked me. Crap.

I dodged the punch he threw and he dodged the kick I sent. Itachi was amazingly fast. Like, inhumanly fast. And his sharingan gave him a great advantage over me but I wasn't playing to win, I was playing to hurt. He blocked the double punch I tried to give him and kicked me in the stomach in return. I was thrown to my knees and he tried to bring his foot to my head but I stopped the assault and almost kicked him in the gut. He grabbed my foot and attempted to throw me into the wall. I punched just in time to avoid the wall and merely landed in the dirt. I was breathing loudly and, damn him, he was looking bored.

He was holding back and still kicking my ass. I reached for a kunai before I remembered that they had taken all of my weapons and he used this time to land a few more punches on me.

"…I didn't expect you to be this weak…" He said as I struggled to stand. Just one good punch in the face, and I would be happy. Biting my lip, I began to plan. He kicked at me and I successfully dodged them. He continued to attack and the only thing that I could do was block and dodge. And that wasn't even enough to stop him from landing a few.

"I really don't see why Pein wanted you. Your obviously lacking the skill even a genin would have. Pathetic." To prove his point Itachi easily punched me into the wall. I remained there, trying to catch my breath. My plan was actually working…and then, my mouth got in the way.

"Fuck you!" I yelled in a breathless voice. "I don't want to be here! I don't give a damn about the stupid Akatsuki! I just want to go back to my life!" He was silent and unmoving. I don't think that insulting his team and him was a very smart decision, but at that moment, I didn't really care. There was blood running from my mouth and I was bruised all over. Suddenly, a pair of cold hands were wrapped around my neck, cutting off my air supply.

"And what a worthless life it was." His face was above mine and he was staring into my eyes. "Constantly running and hiding….never being strong enough…you couldn't even save your own mother, could you?" My eyes widened in shock. He was very well informed.

"Shut up!" I punched him in the cheek and he allowed it to happen. He didn't even flinch as the black pinwheels in his blood red eyes began to turn.

"She died because you were too weak to save her…"

"Be quiet!" He knew the truth about me and angry tears filled my eyes. How I hated him at that moment. But he pressed on, his hands still tight around my throat.

"…the bonds you keep are the reason you are so weak…" I tried to stop it, I did. But I couldn't. His truthful words cut me to the core and unadulterated loathing filled my entire body, spilling from my eyes. Before Itachi could react, I unleashed my jutsu. His eyes widened as he felt the affects. He even tried to pull his hands away, but I grabbed them and held them there. I was taking everything out of his hands. His power, his memories, and even his life. I could have killed him.

"Enough!" He yelled. The chains glowed white and my hands were forced to the wall. Itachi quickly jumped away and stared at me with unreadable eyes. A familiar voice rang through the room and my attention snapped to the door. A man with red hair and rimmed irises was in the door way. Pein.

"Now you see Itachi. Her power has amazing potential and that is why I want her for the Akatsuki. Suma," A shiver ran through me when he spoke my name. "You will not use that power unless told to. Understand?" My mouth dropped open and I glared at Pein.

"You have no control over me!" I yelled.

I instantly regretted it. A searing pain filled my body and I screamed in protest. I could not drop to the floor because of the chains. Tears of pain replaced the anger and my vision began to shift in and out of focus. The pain was unimaginable. It wore off and left me gasping for breath.

"Itachi, clean her up. Training will resume tomorrow." And Pein walked through a group of cloaked men and out of the room. Kisame and Deidara stared onto the battle field with hidden shock. The chain grew black again and I fell onto my stomach, crying.

I didn't have the energy to stand up. I could barely keep my eyes open. The sound of approaching footsteps should have scared me for they were Itachi's, but I remained uncaring. He picked me up and carried me from the room. I think I heard Kisame saying something but I was passed out before Itachi even reached the door.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

**WOW!! LONG CHAPTER!!**

**Ok, ok, I know that I should be updating my other fanfics but this idea just popped into my head and I had to write it. **

**Tell me what you think!!**


	2. Akatsuki

Waking up in random places is starting to become normal for me.

I was once again on the black bed in Itachi's room and I was once again in tremendous pain. I hope this wasn't going to become routine.

"Ugh." I groaned as I struggled to sit up. The room was exactly the same as the last time I woke up in it, which I believe was only a few hours ago. Great… It was the same except one small addition. There was a small black mattress on the floor, shoved into the corner I had slept in my first day. A thin white sheet rested neatly upon it and threw off the black color scheme. The bathroom door opened and interrupted my interior decorating day-dream. Itachi walked out and I saw him for the first time with out the Akatsuki cloak on. He was wearing a formfitting black t-shirt and ordinary black pants. He glanced at me and closed the door.

"…you're awake…" I blinked at him.

"Yeah…I am." He walked over to the only closet in the large room and opened it. The shelves the middle were stacked with mostly black fabric and the doors had an array of weapons stored upon them. He stuffed a few extremely sharp looking objects into a bag and closed the doors.

"You should eat. You'll recover faster." He stated as he turned back to look at me.

"I'll be fine." I said, pissed that he thought of me as so weak. "I can last a few hours without food." His expression changed into slight amusement.

"You've been asleep for three days Suma." Silence filled the room and I just stared blankly at him.

"Are you….kidding me?" He didn't answer so I took it for a no… I jumped from the bed and attempted to race to the bathroom, a shower was in high order, but I got dizzy and fell. Thankfully, Itachi used chakra to pull my chains, which led me safely onto the black futon. Sitting up slowly, I took a few deep breaths and steadied myself. Itachi leaned against the wall opposite me and smirked. Kami he pissed me off.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I asked. My voice was groggy from at least 72 hours of sleep and I sounded like a chain smoker. Itachi remained silent but I wasn't leaving with out an answer. I cleared my throat and was about to yell at him when he interrupted me.

"During our spar... Before Pein came…" The reminder shook me from my remaining sleep stupidity and I looked at Itachi with hard eyes.

"You mean while you were choking me…" His expression remained bored but I could tell that he wanted an explanation. "I didn't mean to do it, but…" I trained off. I didn't really want to explain my gift to him, but from the look he was giving me, I didn't have a choice. "It's called Reidou. It's a special blood-line limit that allows me to…steal things from people." Itachi crossed his arms.

"Things…" I pushed my bangs back and looked at the floor, finding random patterns in the woodwork.

"I can…suck out people's power….and use it against them. I know everything that they know. It's like…I replace a part of my mind with theirs. I receive chakra, information and even life force."

"So you could kill someone with Reidou." It wasn't a question. I was beginning to think that Itachi didn't ask questions.

"The fastest was three seconds…but that was a while ago." His eyes narrowed at this new information.

"What do you know?" Wow…an actual question. This was going to be a weird day, I could just tell. I glanced up at Itachi and understood what he was asking. He wanted to know how much about him I had discovered.

"Uchiha Itachi…one time Anbu for Kohona…one of the most powerful members of the Akatsuki…killed his entire clan, save for his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke…. And so on…" A weight on the futon forced me into the wall. Itachi was leaning on me, arms caging me in, weight pushing me down. This was also becoming routine. His eyes were slowly spinning with black pinwheels. "Itachi?! That the hell are…"

"I think that I need to even the sides a bit. You know a lot about me…I'd like to hold the same deck…" Shit! I clamped my eyes shut; I mean, I just woke up!!

"Wait Itachi! Please," I could sense that he paused, "I've been asleep for three days and need to eat something before I starve to death. If you really want to know about me, I will tell you…but not right now!" I peeked one eye open but the sharingan were still spinning. "I didn't want to use Reidou, it just sorta happened. Please, at least let me shower!" I was begging for scraps but couldn't care less. After an eternity the weight alleviated and I let out the breath I'd been holding. Itachi opened the hall door with his back to me.

"Tonight." And he left.

I stared at the recently closed door; Itachi just listened to me….weird.

With a grunt I was able to stand up and limp to the door. Every muscle in my body ached and I was covered in cuts and scratches. I shred my clothes slowly, hoping I didn't re-open too many wounds. I was normally a fast healer, but I think the chains were cutting my chakra supply short. The shower sputtered to life and I stupidly jumped in.

"Holy Crap!" And jumped right back out; it was freezing. I threw a towel over myself and impatiently waited for the shower to heat up. As the ancient shower crawled to a warmer temp I began to go over the past couple days in my head.

So, I was kidnapped by the worlds most dangerous criminal organization and instead of being killed, I was asked to become a member. I was then chained to said group and forced to stay in the same room as their most powerful member. And, to top it all off, during a fight with my new roommate I accidentally unleashed a powerful jutsu that I had sworn to only use on a certain person. Now I was going to have to either freely explain my entire life to my hostile roomie or he was going to force it out of me…

The water was finally at a decent temperature so I let my towel fall and hopped in. It was wonderful against my bruises and I just let it hit me. Water soaked my hair and plastered it to my head., so I pushed it off. After about 10 minutes of just getting soaked I looked around the large stone shower for soap and shampoo. Then a thought struck me…I didn't have any of my stuff… No peaches and crème body wash, no mint shampoo…no tooth brush or tooth paste. And that wasn't the worst part.

I didn't have any extra bras or underwear. Shit!

I decided to borrow some of Itachi's shampoo and washed my hair. Once that was done I climbed out of the shower and found a new set of black clothes waiting for me. But no bra and no undies. This was just not going to work.

I toweled off my hair, leaving it sticking up in random places, and threw on a pair of tight shorts. I wrapped the extra fabric I had cut off from my cloak around my chest for a bra and secured it with medical tape; it would work for now, but I really needed to go shopping or stealing.

Once I was fully dressed, I walked out of the bathroom and looked around for my shoes. I threw my hair towel onto the futon with out looking and I heard a little 'uumph' Spinning quickly around, my heart jumped into my throat. Deidara was lounging on the futon pulling a wet towel off of his face.

"Good morning to you too, un." I looked at him curiously.

"Umm, what are you doing in here?" He gave me a cocky grin and played with the towel in his hands.

"I'm in charge of your training today, yeah. So, un, I guess it's my duty to baby-sit you as well, yeah." I crossed my arms at the thought of being baby-sat; I was almost 18 for Kami's sake. Then a thought struck me.

"Umm, Deidara, why is there a futon in here?" A simple question, just to see if I could weasel information out of this flirtatious blonde. He winked at me.

"Itachi said that you wouldn't share a bed, so we got you a futon, yeah. Would you rather sleep on the floor, un?" I opened my mouth to argue but closed it. They had actually thought about me….

"Deidara, is their another woman in the Akatsuki?" I asked as I slipped on my shoes. He started to throw the towel up and catch it in one hand.

"Yep. But I've never met her. She lives with Pein, yeah, not here." Damn, I couldn't just steal her stuff. "Why do you ask, un?"

"No reason…" Another plan popped into my head, so I kneeled down next to Deidara and tried to act flirtatious. He paused his throwing game and looked at me. He was very handsome, I'll admit, and looked happily-lazy with one hand behind his head. I inwardly sighed; here goes nothing…

"Actually, Deidara, I have a tiny problem. Seeing as I'm a woman and everyone else here is male, I have certain…needs…or special requirements.." He looked at me with a strange expression, but I pressed on. "I don't have any of my stuff here, stuff that a girl really needs, and I was wondering if I would be able to get some. Since I'll be living here for a while, you know…" A smirk fell across him lips. Maybe I wasn't as bad at flirting as I thought I would be.

"What kind of stuff?" He asked in a low voice and I smiled softly.

"Girl stuff…soap…shampoo…bras…" His eyes widened and I wondered what he was thinking about. The idea of bras was causing a patch of red to appear on both of his cheeks. "So, if I could get some of that stuff, I would be really happy." I quickly ended my flirting game for my sake and waited for an answer. He stared at me for a few minutes and then…my stomach growled. Stupid hunger ruining my attempt at flirting!

Deidara started to laugh loudly and jumped to his feet. I glanced up at him and he reached out a hand to help me to my feet. Maybe this place wasn't so bad.

"There's no way that YOU will be able to get the stuff, yeah. But I'll see what I can do, un. You had better eat though, or Itachi will kill me!" I followed Deidara out of Itachi's room and down into the kitchen. "I guess we're not used to having a girl here." He opened the door but didn't go in. "I'll help you Suma-san, yeah. If anyone gives you a hard time, un, just tell me. I'll kill 'um for Ya, yeah." A small, but genuine, smile hit my lips after he said this. This place was getting better by the minute.

"Thanks Deidara." He smiled at me and winked.

"I'm gonna go get ready for training, un. So just come to room 6 when you're done eating, yeah." He semi-pushed me into the kitchen and walked away. I got myself a bagel and a cup of coffee and sat down to eat it. I was all alone in the huge kitchen…until the door opened again and Kisame walked in.

"Where's your baby-sitter girl?" He jokingly asked. There goes my good day… I would have retorted but I had just stuffed a rather large piece of bagel in my mouth, so I settled for a glare. Chuckling loudly, Kisame got him self a cup of coffee and sat across from me. He was staring at me with amusement and I was getting pissed.

"What?!" He started laughing again.

"You are a strange one Girl." So now girl was my new nickname. Awesome…

"I'm strange? You're a shark for Kami's sake!" More laughter and I found my anger fading. Kisame was surprisingly charismatic.

"That's it! Girl, you're not afraid of us." A statement, not a question. Sipping my coffee allowed me to find an answer.

"What's to be scared of?"

"Murderers, thieves, kidnappers, ruthless killers."

"That's my life I guess. Like I said, you're not that scary." He cockily smirked at this, bearing a few of his razor sharp teeth. I blinked in response which caused him to laugh again.

"Girl, you're all-right."

"…Thanks…" I drained the rest of my coffee and stood up, but Kisame's look made me pause. It looked like he was observing me, or wanting to eat me for breakfast.

"What now?!" He leaned on his elbows and drank his coffee.

"Be careful." A warning.

"What?" Kisame looked me in the eye sharply. How could his moods change so quickly.

"Just remember that you're about to become an Akatsuki. Any disloyalties will be dealt with quickly and severely. It would be wise to keep your mouth in check until you have gained some experience." I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes.

"Let's get one thing straight Kisame, I'm NOT an Akatsuki nor do I want to be. And I will not 'keep my mouth in check' for anyone!" He didn't look up at me and silence filled the air. Exasperated, I threw my cup in the sink and stomped to the door.

"Just remember Girl. You are either with us or against us, no gray area here." I stared at him in confusion. "Don't die during training today. I get you next week, Girl."

I glared at him for a second before I left the kitchen. He was laughing as I left.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

For being such a pretty-boy flirt, Deidara was an amazing fighter. Not near Itachi level, but better than me by a long shot.

We walked out of the training room together. I was sporting a few new cuts and Deidara, thanks to me, had a bloody lip and a few hidden bruises.

"But, un, Sasori doesn't agree with me and that's why I have Tobi-baka on my team." Deidara explained to me. We had been training all day and now it was time for supper. The smell of cooked food made my mouth water and I pushed the kitchen door open with a smile.

A smile that quickly faded.

As Deidara and I finally entered the kitchen I was found by several new pairs of eyes. Kisame, Itachi, and Tobi were sitting at the large table, but so were 3 others that I have never seen before and they were all wearing identical cloaks. A handsome red-head, a white haired man, and a green plant-thing. Deidara laughed at my expression.

"Some more Akatsuki members, yeah. The rest are on missions or at our different compounds. They already know about you, un, so they probably won't try to kill you." He smiled at me and walked over to the table, sitting down between Tobi and Kisame. I scanned over the table and there was only one open spot, which between Kisame and Itachi. I was about to turn around and leave when the food was served. Call me weak but I was hungry. I reluctantly took my place and started to eat, but I could still feel stares.

"So this is the little girl who will be joining us. I'm Sasori…" The red-head announced.

"Suma…" I answered him with a sharp tone. No way was I going to be pushed around when I didn't even want to be here.

"Yep! Miahizo-san is gonna be Akatsuki, like Tobi! Aren't you excited Zetsu-san?" The childish Tobi asked the man with in the venus-flytrap. He wasn't eating normal food, but after a quick glance at what he was eating, I decided to steer very clear of Zetsu.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me! There's no way this skinny bitch can be an Akatsuki." Challenged the white-haired man. There were a few smirks of agreement from the men around the table and I could feel Itachi's gazing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Excuse me?!" I snapped and he looked at me with cocky eyes.

"Want me to repeat that bitch?" The others continued to eat so I guessed that this man was normally the loud and annoying one.

"Call me bitch one more time and I'll give you something to repeat!!" I yelled. A few people looked at me curiously.

"Ah, the little bitch wants to play with the big kids. Come to think of it, you would make a wonderful sacrifice…" I was about to answer him when Itachi spoke up.

"Hidan. Silence." It was a demand and a threat…and it chilled my bones. "If you continue to disrupt our meal I will become irritated." Hidan smirked at Itachi and then looked at me.

"So…You're fucking this bitch then Itachi? She looks a little scrawny... " My mouth dropped and the sounds of people eating grew silent.

I was instantly on my feet, whipping of my gloves. At that point, I didn't care about Pein's warning. I was going to kill Hidan and it was going to feel so good. However, the look in Itachi's red eyes made me freeze.

"Suma's living here is the business between her and Pein. If you have a problem with it, take it up with him. But if you speak one more word to me, I will kill you. No matter how immortal you may be." Hidan lost his smirk, but continued to stare at me. The meal continued around me, but I had lost my appetite.

I turned on my heel and marched to the door, still feeling stares on my back. I exited the room and slammed the door behind me.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I reached Itachi's room and barged inside. He was still at supper, so I had the entire room to myself. After swearing death and eternal damnation upon Hidan I grew bored and hungry. But there was no way in hell that I was going to return to the kitchen. I stripped off my dirty clothes and decided to take a bath. Soaking always helped me clear my head.

The tub filled rather quickly and the room became steamy. I found a small window on the wall near the shower and opened it. The fog cleared while I slipped into the tub, letting out a blissful sigh as the hot water lapped over my tired body. I scrubbed the dirt from my skin and noticed that my wounds were almost all healed. My body was adjusting to living here, and I didn't like that.

The tub was very deep and the water reached just above my collar bone when I was flat on my bottom. For a while I just leaned against the wooden side and stared blankly at the wall. I shook me head slightly to break out of the trance that I was in and dunked my head. The water burned at my closed eyelids and my lips so I stood straight out of the tub. The water still came to my knees even though I was standing. I wiped my eyes with my hands, opened them…and stared straight into red ones.

Itachi was standing in the door way with his right hand on the knob and a large black bag in the other. I, on the other hand, was standing knee deep, naked in the tub.

"…." His eyes stared into mine and I couldn't move; I didn't even try to cover myself up. "Deidara gave this to me. It's the items you asked for." With that he dropped the black bag on the floor and closed the bathroom door. I stood still until the cold began to nip at my skin. Then I shakily stepped out of the tub and covered myself with a towel. It wasn't until I pulled the plug to let the water out that I reacted. Embarrassed tear pricked at my eyes and my face flushed bright red.

I forced the stupid tears away and placed the bag on the sink counter. Once it was opened I thanked Kami for Deidara. It was filled with every thing that a girl could need. Shampoo, body wash, a comb and a pick, tooth paste, floss, a green tooth brush, and, thankfully, numerous pairs of bras and panties. I instantly broke out the tooth supplies and then brushed my drying hair. There was also a set of pajamas in the side of the bag along with a small note.

_Welcome to the Akatsuki._ The handwriting was very neat and obviously female. This care bag must have been sent from the other female member. There was no name on the card. I slipped on the white tank-top and black shorts and, after stashing my emergency bag under the counter, walked out into the bedroom. Itachi didn't look at me when I entered so I hurried to the futon and sat down. After about 5 minutes of awkward silence I decided that I had to say something.

"….th-thank you for bringing me the bag…and for shutting Hidan up…" Itachi sat up in his bed and looked at me with expressionless eyes. I resisted the urge to blush with great difficulty and met his gaze.

"….Hidan annoys me greatly. I couldn't care less about what he said to you…I just do not like him." And the awkwardness returned.

"…Well…thanks anyway…"

"Suma, you owe me an explanation." I hesitated and he narrowed his eyes at me. "Unless you want me to take the information myself." Leaning my back against the wall, I took a deep breath and looked straight it him.

"Ok, ok." I started. "Reidou is a special and very rare blood-line limit. It allows me to steal from my enemy, rather like your sharingan, except I need to have skin to skin contact. Once I have activated my jutsu I know everything my victim knows. I also steal life force and chakra, which helps me heal during battle… I highly dislike using it however." He interrupted me for the first and last time.

"Why?"

"Because of how I got it…The Miahizo clan, my family, is a powerful and almost royal clan. Me and my four brothers are a product of an arranged marriage. However, my mother didn't come from the Miahizo clan. She was found an orphan by a branch family and was raised like a daughter. My father fell in love with her beauty and insisted that the two be married. She had little say in the matter.

My mother was the only Reidou wielder in the world at that time and she kept her power a secret. It was a forbidden and highly feared jutsu at the time. She had accidentally killed her parents with it and vowed to end the cursed power.

That is…until I was born.

She discovered my power a few days after my birth and, even though she should have, she could not bring herself to kill me. Instead, she hid my power from the world and we were able to live in peace." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I continued my tale.

"I was 10 years old when the war started. My father was going mad with age and desire for more power. One day the enemy sent a ninja to try to kidnap me and I accidentally used my power…and killed them. My father saw everything.

He urged my mother to train me to use the power and she agreed. But the clan discovered her past and it insulted them to have a foreigner on the throne. They almost turned against my father because he would not cast her away.

To soothe the clan he promised to force me and my mother to use Reidou to kill the enemy's leader. When my mother refused to use Reidou, father went insane. She planned to take me and my brothers away to a safe village. One far away from my father and the Miahizo clan, but our plans were betrayed by my eldest brother. Father arrived and killed my mother.

I was hidden in the room with my closest brother, Kyo. I watched my father shove a sword into her chest. I saw her blood stain the floor of the throne room. I even saw the lights leave her eyes. Kyo was somehow able to get me out of the Miahizo lands and to one of my mothers friends. He returned to my father to fight and I was left alone.

I was 14 then.

The war fell into an armistice but my father vowed to win. He began to send hunter-nin after me two years ago. He wants to bring me back to the Miahizo clan so I can finally win the war for them. Even my brothers have been searching for me." I looked into Itachi's evaluating eyes with fierce determination. "I will return to the Miahizo clan, but only to kill my father and the brother who betrayed my mother." He looked deeply into my green eyes and I wonder what he saw there. Our gazes were locked for countless seconds.

"…And what of your clan?"

"I damn my clan to the deepest pits of hell. I will kill anyone who gets in my way." Itachi disappeared and was instantly leaning against me. My wrists were forced to remain at my sides by the chains so I was leaning against my elbows. I gasped in shock and could feel a blush creeping up to my cheeks. His beautiful face was centimeters from mine and his hungry red eyes stared through me and into my soul.

"I wonder. Could you kill your entire clan…" I t wasn't a question. It was more like a challenge. Itachi was waiting for my answer and I hesitated. Chuckling darkly, he brought his warm lips to my ear and whispered into it.

"Your hesitation makes you weak." With deliberate slowness, he picked himself off of me and strutted over to the bed where he gracefully laid down. I bet the bastard fell asleep the moment his handsome head hit the pillow. My heart was racing out of control and my breathing was shallow. I curled up into a ball on my side but I couldn't sleep.

Damn you Itachi…

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

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	3. Sake

JUST A WARNING…

THERE IS SOME FLIRTATIOUS ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN THIS CHAPTER.

NOTHING VERY SERIOUS…

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

I blocked the punch easily and sent a kick in his direction. He jumped away from me and landed a few feet ahead. His giant sword was staked in the ground where I had successfully disarmed him earlier, but he now picked it up with a grunt. I was unarmed and Kisame grinned in victory. The battle was over, I knew that much.

"You're getting pretty good Girl." Kisame almost complimented as I wiped sweat from my face, "In a few years, you might be able to scratch me." I huffed is mock anger. I had hit him, more that once, but he was go huge that it really didn't matter. But, to my immense joy, I wasn't as bloody as normal. I was getting pretty good.

Kisame threw his samehada over his shoulder and walked to the door. I followed him with a grin and we marched down to the kitchen together. It was a few hours after lunch, so the kitchen was empty. I wonder where everyone goes…

"There are a lot of training rooms here." Kisame answered my thoughts, causing me to jump. "We are either training, eating or in our rooms." He pulled out some veggie dish which made me laugh. Kisame shot me a glare and started to eat. I got myself some noodles and joined him at the table.

We ate together in silence for a while, something that I was very happy about. The silence gave me time to think about my situation.

I had been a prisoner in the Akatsuki compound for about two months. Every day I would wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and then get my trainer for the day. I would work for as long as the Akatsuki member, the one who was training me for that day, decided and then I would be sent to my/Itachi's room. Oh, and I was still being baby-sat.

I couldn't go anywhere with out constant supervision, so I quickly gave up my plans to explore the compound. I also never entered a room with a closed door; just as a precaution…

"Kisame," I said suddenly. He grunted as a response. "Why did you join the Akatsuki?"

"…." He swallowed another huge chunk of his veggie meal and I waited patiently, eating a few more noodles. "Why do you wanna know Girl?"

"Just wondering…" I looked at him and noticed that he was staring at me, evaluating whether to tell me or not.

"I just did." He said simply.

"Huh? What do you mean?" He scratched his chin with one blue finger and I wanted to laugh; he looked like a normal guy right then, instead of a merciless killer…

"Well…I left my village and this was the place to go. I wanted more power and the Leader offered it. It wasn't some big decision I had to slave over to make, it was offered and I accepted. Simple as that." I stared at him and he scowled at me. "What?"

"…Nothing…" I picked up my trash and walked to the garbage "You're kind of boring Kisame. I would expect a big shark to have a more interesting background." He stared at me, incredulous, and then started laughing loudly. I smiled at him as me got up and threw his stuff away.

"You're a strange one Suma." He walked out of the kitchen with a chuckle and I watched him go. We were done with training for the day and I now had nothing to do. I didn't want to go to Itachi's room now; for fear that he would be there…

I'm not afraid of him…I'm afraid of what he does to me. He hasn't touched me since the night that I told him about my past, but I can still feel my blood racing when ever we lock gazes. He still uses the chains to get me to follow his orders however. A feat that I am very proud of. I will not be walked on by anyone, even if he is handsome and fit and has a voice…

Kami, I was going crazy!

I swear that Itachi can read minds because at the very moment I was making fun of him in my head, he walked into the kitchen. My face flushed bright red and he stared at me for a second before getting something to eat. The usual awkward silence filled the room and I stood by the garbage looking like an idiot.

"Suma…" I jumped and my breath got caught in my throat. Itachi was sipping on some tea at the table with his back to me. "If you are done with training, you should go to your room." I stared at his back in budding anger.

"I'm not a child. I'll do what I please!" I reminded him. My mouth was going to get me killed one day….probably soon too.

"You will do what I command." He didn't turn around when he said this, but the demanding tone was clear. I should just listen to him and go to his room….

"I will do what I see fit!" His tea cup clanked on the table softly and my heart raced; he was getting up. And I think he was pissed…

Suddenly, a small white bird gracefully flew into the room. It circled above us a few times and then landed in at our midpoint. After a few seconds I realized that this was one of Deidara's clay figures, infused with his chakra. The bird chirped sweetly and then…it blew up.

The explosion was small in scale, but huge in sound. With a giant boom, the small bird was instantly obliterated. I clamped my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut. Itachi merely closed his eyes in irritation. After the smoke cleared and I opened my eyes, I noticed that Itachi was walking past me. He left the room without speaking to me; and it scared me more than anything. Deidara entered after a few seconds, and he was laughing heartily.

"Hope I didn't get ya, un. I just couldn't resist, yeah!" He looked at my shocked expression and started laughing harder. I was about to punch Deidara in the face when handsome Sasori entered the kitchen. His face was blank as he looked from Deidara to me and he quickly lost interest. Deidara, who was still chuckling, and Sasori grabbed some food and sat at the table to eat. I sat next to Deidara in a huff.

"How was your day with out me, yeah?" The blonde asked through a mouthful of food. I was going to snap at him when I got lost in thought. Was Kisame supposed to train me today?

"Did you go somewhere?" Sasori shot Deidara a warning look and he grinned back sheepishly. "Where were you?"

"Well, un, Sasori-san and I were on a mission, yeah. We had to do some Akatsuki business, mmmm." He piled more food into his mouth and I waited for him to chew.

"Akatsuki business…Like, you left the compound?!" I excitedly asked. Sasori and Deidara exchanged glances.

"Yes. Leader sends us on missions from time to time." Sasori answered. I glanced at Deidara, but he looked intently at his food.

"What do you do on these 'missions'?"

"It depends, yeah. Some times it's Akatsuki stuff, sometimes it's not, un." I stared at the table while the two finished eating. Once they were done, I decided to push for more information.

"So…since I'm Akatsuki…"

"You will not be sent on missions." Sasori interrupted before he exited the kitchen. Thankfully, Deidara waited for me to reach him before he left. Sasori walked in front of Deidara and me.

"Why am I not allowed to go on missions?" Deidara opened his mouth to answer, but deep voice ahead of us beat him to it.

"Because you are not yet a full Akatsuki Suma." Pein was standing in front of an open door. I opened my mouth at his appearance; I have not seen him since my first day at the compound. Sasori and Deidara bowed in respect but I just stared stupidly at him. "After a few more weeks, I'll send you on a practice mission. Nothing too hard…"

I narrowed my eyes…he was making fun of me, but I didn't fight back. I remember too well the pain that this orange haired man could cause. He turned to the two men.

"Sasori and Deidara, Zetsu has successfully returned with another one. Come." I was confused with Pein's words but from the way Deidara's face lit up, I guessed that this was a good thing. With a wink at me, Deidara followed Sasori to the door and the three men walked inside. It closed with a small click and I was left alone.

"…." I turned on my heel and headed for the training rooms. I could have gone to Itachi's room, but after the problem my mouth caused earlier, I decided it was better to have some space.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After a few hours of hard training, I finally gave into my stomachs grumblings and headed for the kitchen. It was around supper time so I expected the room to be filled with the Akatsuki men. But when I pushed through the kitchen door, I saw that it was empty.

"Weird…" I announced as I made myself some food. I didn't feel like creeping to the table to eat by myself, so I just ate at the counter. Once my meal was done and clean, I slowly walked into the hall and headed toward Itachi's room. Slowly walking was good for me; it gave me time it get my defenses ready because I was sure that Itachi would be waiting to punish me for my tongue. I saw a group of Akatsuki men walking through the halls and tried to push myself to the wall. In the head of the group was Hidan…great. There was also a man I had never seen before, who was all covered up. I silently prayed that they wouldn't notice me as they passed.

"Who is this?" The masked man asked when I tried to walk past them. Kami I was unlucky….Hidan looked at me through glazed eyes and I noticed that the men smelled like sake. This was bad…

"Oh, this is the Bitch who thinks that she can join the Akatsuki." His eyes wandered over my body and I resisted the urge to punch him. "She's fucking pathetic on the field. You should see it, it's fucking hilarious!" I bit my tongue and tried to walk away, but Hidan aggressively grabbed my wrist and stopped me.

"Did I say that you could leave bitch?" His grip was painful and I knew it was going to leave a bruise.

"I don't need your permission!" I snapped. His expression went blank before his lips spread into an evil grin. He then slammed me into the wall so hard that my back must have cracked it. I was about to scream in protest but the look in his eyes scared me. I kept silent…

"You need to learn some fucking manners bitch." His face was close to mine and his grip was still painfully on my wrist. Though every fiber of my being hated him, I could not deny his beauty or his power. Why was everyone in this freaking organization attractive?! "Or else that pretty little mouth is gonna get you into some fucking huge trouble…" My mind was screaming at to take defensive action but since he wasn't touching my skin, there was little I could do.

"L-let me go." I demanded quietly. He brought his face closer to mine and breathed on me; he reeked of alcohol.

"A-a-a….You need to beg, bitch." I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from screaming at him. After taking a few seconds to calm myself, I spoke again.

"Let me go." I repeated. He remained still so I added, "Please…"

"You can do better than that bitch." He chuckled darkly. I couldn't take it… I had to scream. I opened my mouth and…

"Let her go." A chilling voice demanded. Hidan broke gaze with me and looked down the hall. Itachi was quickly walking toward us, his face furious. Hidan dropped his hold on me and straightened his back.

"You haven't claimed the bitch yet Itachi?" Hidan mockingly asked. "Better get a move on, before something 'bad' happens to her." Itachi glared at Hidan with killing intent.

"Leave. Now!" It was a simple demand, but it promised a certain death if disobeyed. Hidan smiled at Itachi with coldness and, with a final sneer at me, set off with the masked man down the hall.

"I'll see you later Bitch." He called without turning around, "You can be sure of that." Itachi turned quickly and walked toward his room, still in a fury. I hesitated following him until he called for me.

"Suma, now!" I felt the chains being pulled and decided to follow with out argument. Tears were threatening to spill, but I pushed them back. He opened the door and, harshly grapping my injured wrist, pulled me inside. He turned on his heel to face me.

"Itachi?" I questioned. My voice cracked slightly and I cursed my luck. He closed his eyes and I watched him calm himself.

"You will stay here." An order. "I will be back shortly, and if I find that you have disobeyed me….things will end badly." He opened his eyes and stared into my shocked eyes. "Understand?" It wasn't a question, but I nodded stupidly anyway. Itachi then walked past me and out of the room, closing the door behind him quietly.

I was shaking slightly and couldn't seem to calm myself. I slumped to the floor like a child and just sat in silence.

After a good five minutes, I found my way to the bathroom. A shower would do me good.

x-x-x-x-x-x

It was very late and I was tired, but sleep would not come. I tried to individually relax my muscles, but that didn't work. Counting sheep was going to bore me to death, not make me fall asleep, so I gave up on that idea. I decided to pace a bit and maybe use up the adrenaline that was pumping through me.

I walked over to the window and pulled back the black curtains. It was night outside but not dark; the moon was amazingly bright. It lit up the dark room nicely and I could see pretty far out of the window. The compound was in a forest and near a lake. It actually was very beautiful, for being the front yard of a house full of killers.

The door opened and threw light from the hallway into the room. I turned and watched Itachi close the door. He stared at me in the darkness and I stared back. His red eyes were searching for something on my face and I felt instantly self-conscious. After several moments, he opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him. Something I don't think happens too often…

"Thank you, Itachi." I sincerely told him. "That's twice you have saved my from Hidan… I owe you greatly." He took in my words and something in his expression changed. It was tiny and fast, but it definitely happened.

"Let me see your wrist." He ordered causing me to actually look at it. I was right, it was bruised, and in the shape of a hand. Itachi slightly held out his own hand to me, but for some reason I didn't take it.

"It's ok. I've had worse. Thanks though…" I trained off at the look in his eyes. They were demanding and I suddenly felt the chakra chains pulling me towards him. I was forced to comply with his request and my right hand was placed into his warm left one. Itachi brought my wrist close to his face and examined it; I could feel his warm breath on the palm of my hand. He turned it over this way and that and I stared at him.

Then, shockingly enough, he placed his warm lips on my pulsing vein and Uchiha Itachi kissed my wrist. I almost didn't believe that it had actually happened and when he looked into my eyes again I gasped shock.

Whether it was from Sake or from power, Itachi was drunk. His red eyes were glazed over and his face was a cocky mask. Just to solidify his state he once again kissed my wrist, this time he looked me straight in the eyes. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped and…

Suddenly, I was lying on his bed.

Itachi was leaning against me, on his bed, with my hand in his. And that isn't what shocked me the most. The thing that scared me was my reaction. Half of me couldn't believe what was happening and the other half secretly wanted it…I attempted to push him off, but he just gave me a smirk.

"Itachi, what are you doing?!" I whispered. He laced out joined hands and placed them above my head. My other hand balled at my chest before he could take it and force it out of the way.

"Suma…" The way he said my name made me want to cry. It made me want to laugh and it made me want to punch him in the stomach. What the hell was he doing to me?! "Suma, he will not touch you." My thoughts flew to the evil Hidan as Itachi easily placed my other hand above my head. After he kissed it lightly, he held both hands down with one of his. His free hand slid down my side, burning my skin the entire way, and landed on my hip.

"Itachi!" I gasped, my blood racing. He brought his lips to my chin and traced it in glorious kisses. I wanted so much to give in to him, to feel his skin burning mine, but it wasn't right…it wasn't true…

He shifted his attention to my neck as a fought for control of my own body. My hands tried to break free of his grip and he noticed, breaking his trail on my neck. He brought his lips to my ear and his warm breath tickled me. I gasped in response and I could almost hear him smirk.

"What's wrong…Suma…" I closed my eyes in concentration and his hot tongue traced my ear. "You don't like me?"

"Itachi, you're not right…. You're drunk!" He nibbled on my ear and I wanted to die. How could one man make someone feel this way?! He then brought his face up and looked into my eyes.

"No, Suma…" His face drew closer and closer and I struggled to liberate my hands. "I won't have things in front of me that I can not have!" His warm breath filled my mouth and my nose and his lips almost claimed mine. In a flash, I brought my hand in between our lips and he kissed my palm.

With that skin-to-skin contact I finally used Reidou.

My mind clouded slightly as I attempted to force him to sleep. I was taking the alcohol out of him and his head was clearing slightly. His eyelids slipped closed and he finally succumbed to sleep. I struggled to get out from under him and once both of my feet were firmly on the ground, I gazed at him.

My blood was still boiling and my skin tingled where he had touched it. His black hair had fallen across his face and he looked so beautiful it hurt. In a moment of weakness, I reached over to him and stroked his hair. It was very soft and silky, just as I had dreamed it would be. I sighed quietly and walked over to my futon. Curling into a tight ball, I fell into an uneasy sleep.

Tomorrow should be better…right?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Miahizo-san, you look very tired!" Tobi announced when I sat down at the table for breakfast. Deidara was my trainer for today so I had to wait for him to get up before I could so anything. I had woken up very early this morning and after assuring that Itachi was still asleep, ran to the kitchen. Tobi was the only other Akatsuki member I had seen today. I was guessing that they were all hung over….Idiots…

"I had a rough night Tobi-san." I replied. Rough was an understatement; every time Itachi would move I would fly awake. Deidara walked in with his normal cocky smile in place and a fresh air about him.

"Good Morning Suma, yeah!" He said cheerily as he helped him self to an apple. I nodded in his direction and returned to my second cup of coffee.

"You look pretty tired, un." I simply took another long draft of coffee in reply and Deidara sighed. "You're going to be more worthless that normal, yeah. Maybe no training today, mmmm…"

"But…" I didn't want to return to Itachi's room. I had no idea what was going to happen between us after what had happened last night and I planned to put it off as much as possible. Suddenly, Sasori opened the kitchen door.

"Suma-san…" I looked at him wearily. "Pein is asking for you."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

**SORRY TO LEAVE IT AS A CLIFFIE, BUT I JUST HAD TO!!**

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	4. Defiance

For some reason I feel like I am going to meet an executioner. My steps are slow and my breathing is ragged. I can even see my life flashing before me…but wait…I don't think that it's my life…I don't recall ever being in Kohona…and I'm not a boy. I also don't remember a shocked little crying boy, begging me for an answer…

I shook my head quickly to rid my self of his memories and I finally reached the door at the end of the hall. For the first time since I'd been here, almost three months, it was slightly open. With my hand on the wood, I took a deep breath and pushed through.

Pein was sitting at a desk right in front of me. I didn't know what to do after I entered the room so I just stood by the closed door, looking like an idiot. Pein didn't offer me a seat.

"Good morning Miahizo Suma." He said pleasantly. I just looked at him in response. I mean, how do you make small talk with the leader of the Akatsuki? "I hope your stay with the Akatsuki has been comfortable." Hardly…but I remained silent.

"I called you in here today because I have something to discuss with you. It's about the Akatsuki and your place in it." He looked at me with his unsettling eyes and I bit the inside of my mouth. "How much do you know about the Akatsuki?"

"I-I….Not v-very much…Just that you are a group of very powerful and dangerous missing nin….And that you go on random missions." He smiled at me with no warmth and I shivered.

"Very good Suma. In fact, that is what I wanted to talk to you about." He paused and I almost jumped as he swiftly stood up and walked to the window. The sun was just setting. "Power is the biggest goal to the Akatsuki. Although our members are quite different, they all share one thing. An extraordinary thirst for power…And the way we get our power is something extraordinary in its self.

You see, demons are the most powerful beings on the planet. They are a step down from gods.

It is the job of the Akatsuki to capture these demons and steal their power." His gaze locked with mine and I found that I could not break it. "And that's why you're here, Suma." My eyes widened at this. No one had actually told me why I was kidnapped…I just was…

"Suma, it is my belief that if we train your power, we will be able to use the Reidou to separate demons from their hosts and harness their power easier. It would reduce the risk of Akatsuki deaths and get the demons at their strongest." He stopped and looked at my incredulous face. He wanted me to use my power.

"You have outstanding potential. Now all you require is training. I believe the saying is 'practice makes perfect'" No, he wanted me to use my power, a lot.

I stared at him dumbfounded and realized that he was waiting for me to say something. But what do I say?!

"I-I….But….It's…." I couldn't form my emotions into words so I chose the universal answer. "N-no."

"No?" He repeated, as if he didn't hear me.

"…I can't…" I whispered.

"And why not?" Closing my eyes was hard to do because of the intensity on Pein's glare, but I finally managed to.

"I don't want to use my power."

"The demons are hardly innocent. Many have killed thousands in their life time."

"No. I don't want to use my power at all. I hate Reidou." Pein stared at me with unforgiving eyes and I shivered again.

"Suma, you don't have a say in this. You WILL be trained to use the Reidou and you WILL use it to aid the Akatsuki."

"And if I refuse?" He narrowed his eyes at me and I involuntarily took a step back.

"I don't need you alive to use your power." There was no doubt in the way he said it. "Itachi is here to train you for the day. In a month or so, we will begin your Reidou training." The door swung open and Itachi entered the room with out looking at me. He inclined his head at Pein in respect. "Leave." Pein instructed to me. Itachi left the room and, using the chains, pulled me out after him.

I stumbled down the hallway in shock and barely noticed that Itachi had brought me to the training room and was now getting ready to spar.

I haven't seen Itachi since last night when he was a completely different mood. Now he stood 10 feet in front of me with his red eyes full of what looked like hate. I could already tell that during this spar, he wasn't going to hold back much, if at all.

"Itachi," I started, hoping to save myself a from the tremendous pain he was sure to inflict upon me. However, he didn't let me finish.

"Silence." He demanded in an unmistakable tone. My body screamed for my mouth to remain closed but, like always, it didn't listen.

"Listen Itachi. I need to explain what happened last night." A kick in my stomach gave me his answer and I was thrown to the walls.

"I know what happened. You disobeyed my direct order and used your power against me." I picked myself off the ground and avoided another kick.

"What?!" I threw him a punch and he blocked it easily. "I had no choice! You were….." I couldn't finish. Itachi had tripped me with his legs and I had to roll out of the way before he brought his heel down. I jumped away and struggled to catch my breath.

"If you weren't so weak, you wouldn't have had to use it." He stated simply. I stared at his slowly approaching form in indignant shock.

Ok first of all, it was Itachi who tried to kiss me, not the other way around. And I stopped it for the both of us; our room was already awkward enough with out that HUGE object in the way. Now Itachi was punishing me for using my power when Pein had just basically ordered me to use it.

Kami these Akatsuki men were utterly unpredictable!

"What did you expect me to do?!" He lashed out at me with a kunai and gave me a cut on my shoulder.

"I do not expect anything from you. You are worthless…" He kicked me and I was once again thrown to the wall. "You are weak…" I struggled to my feet and glared at him. I should keep quiet and hope that he won't kill me, but quiet has never been my style.

"I'm not weak." It was soft and almost inaudible, but I knew that he heard it. I bet he would have smirked, if he wasn't so pissed off.

"Weak." He repeated in a finalizing tone. He probably expected me to take it, to just let him have the last word…but then again, he did say that he didn't expect anything from me…

"I am not weak!" I yelled at him. Itachi's eyes narrowed and he was behind me in an instant. I kicked at him but he grabbed my foot and flipped me onto the wall, front first. He had my right arm twisted painfully behind my back and his knee was lodged into my left leg. I couldn't move.

"Pathetic…" He stated, not dropping his hold on me. I was out of ideas when one struck me. The last time I had trained with Deidara, I had used Reidou. I still had some of Deidara's power in me!

With a swift motion I charged the dirt beneath me with chakra. They exploded nicely and Itachi jumped away to avoid getting hit, releasing me in the process. Unfortunately, I was hit during the blast, and could feet blisters growing on my calves. I turned to face Itachi, who had drawn a katana… Shit!

"Hey! That's not fair!!" The corners of Itachi's mouth twitched slightly at my childish remark as he stalked towards me.

"Life isn't a game girl. It is merely a struggle for more power…Either you have power, or you hove nothing. And you will always have nothing." He raced at me and I skillfully dodged him, running as far away as possible.

"That's not true!" I yelled as I looked around for…where was it?! "I have something Itachi; I have a mission to accomplish. My personal goal will take me farther than any stupid quest for power!" He was instantly beside me, swinging the cool metal in my direction. I dropped to the ground and used more exploding jutsu to bring a cloud of dust up. He could probably see through it with his sharingan, but I didn't care. I could see the ground better and…YES!!

"With out power, nothing can be accomplished. You will never kill your father Girl. You are too weak." I froze in my spot. I was on my knees, reaching for my recently found treasure and I could feel Itachi approaching slowly.

"H-how do you know about that?!" I whispered.

"You are not the only one who can read a person's soul." He answered threateningly.

"Then you know….about it all….Even what I didn't tell you." It wasn't a question because I already knew the answer. Itachi knew everything about me, just like I knew everything about him. We were even…

"Yes. And I know that you are too weak to kill your father."

"Shut the hell up!" I shouldn't have talked back to him. I mean, he was the one with 3 feet of cold steel in his hand, and I was the one on my knees with my back to him.

"You shouldn't even try…You do not have enough power."

"Power isn't everything." I retorted. He was getting closer and my mind began to un-freeze.

"Power is the only thing." He voice was cold and merciless. "Without power there is nothing." I listened to his slowly approaching foot steps.

"And once you've gained power, what will you have? Power is nothing with out a reason to use it!" I grabbed for the kunai Itachi had thrown earlier and her flipped my on to my back. He pressed me into the ground with his weight and held the tip of the katana at my throat.

But he didn't win; I had the kunai at his throat.

Either we were both going to die or we would just get up and leave. His eyes widened a fraction in surprise but his mouth pressed into a hard line.

"…." He remained silent and I, for once in my life, didn't want to push him by talking. We sat in a stalemate, glaring at each other until Itachi finally spoke.

"What Kisame?" He asked without breaking my gaze. Kisame had entered the room, and I hadn't heard him…I needed to listen more…

"Pein needs to see us. It's about a mission." I'm guessing that Kisame left because that is the last that he said. Itachi continued his staring match with me; our weapons still in their killing positions. Suddenly, he stood up and walked over me towards the door. I turned onto my stomach and watched him as he left.

"Go to the room." He ordered. "That was not a request." His tone made it impossible for me to defy him. He walked into the hall and out of sight. I calmed my breathing and slowly sat up.

After a few minutes of not moving, I got up and walked towards the door.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"Suma, where is your baby sitter, un?" Deidara said as I limped down the hallway. His cocky smirk was in its usual place.

"Go to…." I stopped and bit my lip. It was a horribly desperate plan, but I had nothing else to work on. "Hey Deidara, will you come to my room with me?" His face dropped and he looked at me in shock.

"Why, yeah?" He asked in genuine curiosity.

"The red-eyed bastard has banished me there and I want to piss him off…" I didn't like using Deidara, I loathe dishonest people, but I was very angry at how Itachi was treating me. I needed to get him back somehow. Deidara looked at me with an amused expression.

"Sure, mmm." I smirked at him and entered my room, Deidara following behind me. Order me around will you…

Deidara lounged himself lazily on my futon and I walked to the bathroom. I showered quickly and changed into my under outfit, throwing my cloak on the floor. I then walked out and smiled at Deidara, who was playing with some clay.

"I used your jutsu today." I told him absent mindedly.

"Isn't it great, yeah! Art is a Blast, un!!" He made the bird fly over to me and I let it walk along my arm as I leaned against Itachi's bed. I used my chakra to stop it from exploding before I opened the window and let it fly out. It soared through the air before exploding in a tiny blast. "Art is a powerful thing, yeah. It reminds me of you, un."

"I'm not powerful…" I leaned against the window sill and didn't turn to face Deidara. Silence filled the room and I knew that Deidara wasn't going to argue the point. Akatsuki really didn't help with my confidence.

Then slowly but surely Deidara's booming laugh filled the room, forcing me to turn and look at him.

"I can't believe that you are so oblivious, yeah! You don't see what you do, un…."

"What I do?" I repeated stupidly causing Deidara to break out into more laughter. After he settled down a bit, he looked at me with a strange expression.

"You are strange Suma, un." I turned my back to him in irritation. He wasn't going to explain what he meant.

"Yeah, _I'm_ the strange one…" I sarcastically said. Deidara got to his feet and I turned my head towards him.

"Let's just put it this way, yeah." He said in a hushed tone. "No one has ever talked back to Uchiha Itachi and lived, un." Wait….what?! Before I could even open my mouth to question the blonde the door swung open, revealing a very emotionless Itachi.

"Leave." He ordered Deidara, who complied with a wink to me. Itachi's gaze was glued to mine, and I did not look away. He was still dirty and bruised a little where I had actually managed to hit him earlier.

"…." I wasn't going to be the first one to break the weighted silence.

"Get ready." Was all he said, so I was forced to interact.

"Why?" I didn't try to keep the annoyance out of my voice and he smirked a bit.

"We are going on a mission." He explained.

My first mission….and I couldn't feel more unprepared…

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

**SORRY THAT IT WAS SO SHORT, BUT THE NEXT ONE WILL BE A LOT LONGER AND BETTER!!**

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	5. Reunion

It seems like whenever you are dreading something….it only comes ten times faster. I guess time flies when you're on a mission that could end your life.

"Hurry up girl!" Kisame yelled back at me as we raced through the trees. I was a little preoccupied and lagging behind, so sue me… A sharp tug from Itachi, who didn't even look back at me, brought me up to tempo. I shot him a look but he didn't turn around. Kisame chuckled underneath his breath and I fought back a small smile.

After heaven knows how many hours of just silent running Itachi came to a stand still. Kisame and I paused also and Itachi threw off the bag he was carrying. I guess that meant that we were going to make camp here. I threw off my heavy bag with relief and watched as Itachi started a fire with his jutsu and Kisame started throwing things in a pot for supper. I felt very out of place and neither one of them told me what to do…or even spoke.

"Um…what do I do?" I asked awkwardly. They didn't even look at me.

"Nothing." Kisame said simply. I crossed my arms and looked around. There had to be something that I could do.

"I'll go get more wood." I said. As I tried to turn around, I found the chains being pulled again and I could not move from my spot.

"No." Itachi spoke finally. "You are not allowed to go any where. So sit and don't move." I put my hands on my hips and scowled at Itachi, who didn't look up.

"Excuse me? I'm not a child! I'm going to be 19 for Kami's sake!" For the first time since we left the compound Itachi looked up at me. I was expecting anger because of my lip, but instead I found amusement on his face.

"You are 19…" I shot him a look.

"I know my own age Itachi. My birthday is June 22nd and…." I paused. I didn't know what month it was. Kami! I didn't even know if it was Monday or Thursday. "What is today's date?" I asked quietly. Itachi's eyes watched my face for a reaction as he spoke.

"Friday, August 2nd." I stared at him. I waited for him to laugh at his little joke. But Uchiha Itachi doesn't laugh…and I doubt that he jokes either.

"Kami…" I sat slowly on a log and looked at my hands. They were shaking.

I had grown older…and I didn't even know. The Akatsuki had not only taken my freedom, they had taken my entire life away from me. I needed to get out as soon as possible, but in order to do that…I would have to become a full member. And I had to act normal; if Itachi found something suspicious about me, there was no hope for escape.

"Well," I said finally, taking a deep breath to calm myself. "Happy late birthday to me I guess." Itachi's expression changed slightly but his stare did not drop.

"You're not upset." Again, another statement. I looked at him and shrugged.

"Birthdays aren't important. I'm just surprised that I lived to reach 19…"

"Why?" a question…weird.

"Well," I put my head in my hands and looked at Itachi. Why was he so beautiful?! My heart started to beat faster and I cursed myself. "Hunter nin are pretty ruthless." He didn't respond and looked away when Kisame grunted. He had the food cooked and was passing it out. It actually looked very delicious and I was starving, so I ate fast and got seconds. Kisame laughed at me as I gulped down the water to soothe my burning throat so I shot him a nasty look.

"I'm gonna sleep. Itachi, you got first watch." Kisame looked from me to Itachi before he walked away. So I was going to be watched 24/7. Sweet…

"Don't you think that if I wanted to run away, I would have done so earlier?" I asked loudly. Itachi smirked at me and my heart raced again. Damnit!

"Maybe, but I don't think you're stupid enough to try to run away." Wow, an almost compliment.

"Then why do I have to be under constant supervision?" His smirk almost turned into a tiny smile.

"I said you weren't stupid enough to run away, but I still think that you are stupid enough to try and escape." And my small astonishment at the almost-compliment faded swiftly. I glared at him with loathing and he looked back with amusement.

"I'm not stupid Uchiha. If I wanted to escape, I could." I said with a tiny deficiency in my confidence. Unfortunately for me, he caught it.

"You don't seem so sure." I looked straight at the fire and didn't respond. Silence filled, but it wasn't awkward and it left me time to think. I doubted very highly that I would be able to escape with Itachi watching me. I would have to wait until he wasn't around, which threw this mission out of the option box.

"You have no where to go Suma." Itachi said suddenly causing me to jump from my thoughts. "You have no home. If you escaped, where would you hide…"

"…" I thought seriously about his question and he looked at me. I bit my bottom lip in concentration. "I wouldn't hide. I'm ready to go back and…." I still couldn't bring myself to say it. I know it was childish…but still, I had only killed a handful of people before. And it was always in defense.

"Kill him." Itachi finished for me. I looked at him.

"Yes. I will kill him, and anyone who gets in my way." His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Really… And what will killing him accomplish?" He was testing me, looking for weakness…but I was sure of my goals and he would not throw me off. I hope…

"He will be dead and I will stop being hunted. And my mother will be avenged."

"You will never stop being hunted. At least not until you are dead."

"I don't care if I die after he's dead." And I was sure. I was…

"Your revenge is worthless if you are dead. It will have no meaning. Your mother will not be avenged if you simply kill your father."

"You don't know what you're talking about! Killing that bastard is the only reason that I am still in the Akatsuki! I will avenge my mother by killing my father."

"And then… You will have nothing." I looked at him in disbelief. Uchiha Itachi, infamous clan killer, was lecturing me about NOT killing my father.

"What?! I-I already have nothing!" I shouted at him. "And it's none of your damn business what I do! Why do you care if I live or die?!" He looked into the fire and I stared at him, my chest heaving in anger.

"You know nothing…" He said quietly. My mouth dropped in shock and I was instantly on my feet. His eyes reached me.

"I'm going to bathe." I yelled as I turned around. I expected Itachi to refuse to let me go, to use the chains to keep me here, but all he did was stand up and follow me. After I reached a small lake, I faced Itachi with my hands on my hips.

"….." I stared at him.

"I'm not leaving. You are to be watched at all times…"

"I-I…I'm going to be…n-nude! You can't be here!"

"I have my orders…"

"And I have my privacy!!" Itachi smirked slightly and he bent towards me. I could feel his breath on my neck as he spoke into my ear. A could feel a blush creeping up and cursed the beautiful man in front of me.

"You are a prisoner Suma…you do not have privacy." My stomach dropped at the threatening words and I was forced to change my game plan…I really needed to bathe.

"Please…Itachi." He was instantly away from me, his face contorted into a strange and almost pained expression. He looked me over for what seemed like forever and then he turned his back to me and walked towards a large tree.

"10 minutes." Is all he said; and I didn't need him to repeat it. I was almost sprinting to the cool water. I whipped off my clothes and dived into blue liquid. It was cool and wonderful and just what I needed. After I scrubbed the dirt off my skin, I decided that I still had a little time left to enjoy myself. I dunked my head and swam through the clean water and came to the surface only when I required air. After a few minutes of pure bliss I found footing on a large stone and was able to just stand in the water. It came up to my waist so I covered my self, but when I casually glanced over at where my babysitter was, my breath grew still. I found a beautiful pair of blood red eyes staring straight at me.

I quickly ducked back into the water and swam to shore. I hurried into my clothes and cloak and then walked to where Itachi was sitting. But when I reached him, he was sleeping peacefully. On a moment girlish weakness I leaned over him. His face was so beautiful. His skin was pale and smooth, despite the hard and dangerous life, and his face was artistically handsome. The thin lines underneath both eyes, either for lack of sleep or stress, were characteristically unique. He was just a very attractive person and I was drawn to him.

I know that it was stupid but at that time, I found myself longing to reach out and touch his perfect face. I wanted to hear his deep, smooth voice and I wanted to gaze into his blood-red crystal eyes. Something was wrong with me…

I reached out a shaking hand and before I could touch his cool skin, the wind blew harshly and a drop of water fell from my hands and onto Itachi's beautiful cheek. Two large red eyes slid slowly open and I was trapped in his gaze.

"Suma." He said in a low voice that I had never heard come from him before. Something in it stirred in the pit of my stomach…but I found that I didn't hate it.

Slowly, my knees touched the ground, and I was so close to Itachi that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. I looked into his eyes and I saw a different look in his expression; it was like he was thinking about something important. He leaned forward and so did I. I felt a slight pressure on the side of my head and it took me a moment to realize that Itachi's hand was pulling me towards him. My head exploded into fits of shock. Itachi was pulling me into him, and he wasn't drunk. A new blush filled my face, but I did not pull away…I didn't want to.

As Itachi's tragically beautiful face got closer, I found that all my fears alleviated. The only thing that I was thinking about was him, his wonderfully warm body heat and his soft looking perfect lips. At that moment, I didn't have a need to kill my father, I didn't have a need to avenge my mother, and I especially didn't have a need to ever escape from the Akatsuki. What was this man doing to me?!

His lips were mere centimeters from my own and his breath made me slightly dizzy. He was about to fill the space between and I was about to loose myself, and…the wonderful pressure on my head disappeared along with Itachi's sweet breath. My eyes opened fully and Itachi was not in front of me anymore. Then Kisame entered the clearing with a rustle of the bushes.

"I thought that you two were fighting again. It's my turn for watch Itachi." He said. I turned and saw that Itachi was standing near the water, his back to Kisame and me. He had moved from me…so that Kisame wouldn't see us…. I hadn't even sensed the giant shark approaching. Stupid tears of embarrassment pricked at my green eyes and I struggled to keep them at bay. I was so stupid.

With self anger fueling my actions, I got up and marched back to the campsite. Of course I was weak and I stole a peek at Itachi before I walked through the trees. His back was still to me and the wind was blowing his hair. But another thing confused me; his right fist was clenched tightly; so tightly that it was shaking slightly.

I sat down with my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Waiting for the rush in me to die down was tedious work because every time I thought that I was ok, I would remember his perfect face or his smell and I would be back to square one. With a sigh of exasperation I fell onto my back and rolled to my side.

Uchiha Itachi was going to ruin me…

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Our mission is to get the target into a secluded location and get the information that he has. Once we have the information, we will pay him and leave immediately." Itachi said as we entered the small tavern town. It's called a tavern town because a building is either a house or a bar. Drunken people littered the streets already and the sun was just setting. Itachi led us into a dark bar and we all sat in a small booth together. Kisame was to my left and Itachi was to my right. Thankfully, I was able to push what had happened from my mind for the mission, so I sitting that close to him wasn't that big of a problem.

Soon a very slutty looking waitress came over to our table. She was wearing a very tight sleeveless top and short-shorts. Her heels were about five inches high and I was surprised that her hair wasn't falling out from the amount of chemicals that she had in it. She looked Kisame over quickly, he had his collar straight up and his hat on so he was completely covered up. She then looked at Itachi and me. Her dull blue eyes widened at Itachi and then scowled at me. Great…

"What will you have sir?" She asked him in an overly attentive voice. This woman reeked of desperation. Itachi looked up at her and she took an involuntary step backwards. Those red eyes of his were frightening.

"Nothing for us, thank you." Itachi said in a pleasant voice.

"Are you sure," She leaned towards the table, "That there isn't anything that I can do for you?" She asked in a husky voice. Itachi's expression did not change and I fought the urge to punch this slut in the face.

"Actually," Itachi moved his hand swiftly but I saw what he meant to do. "We are looking for a man named Tidus. He has a large scar on his right cheek. If you see him, be sure to tell us." The woman looked at the money Itachi had placed in her hand and back at him. Shock filled her face as she nodded and walked quickly away. She had enough money in her hand to buy a medium sized house.

"Tramp." I stated, under my breath of course, but Itachi heard me and a smirk fell across his lips. Suddenly, Kisame stood up and walked out of the smoky bar. Outside was completely dark, except for the full moon. I was about to question Kisame's departure when Itachi interrupted me.

"He's going to check for any obstacles." Itachi explained simply. I nodded in understanding and looked over through the bar. There were a few more scantily clad women in the bar, all laughing too loudly or flirting too poorly. The men were all in dark clothing and all looked very dangerous. I sifted in my seat slightly when I made eye contact with a man from across the bar. His face was contorted and ugly from numerous burns and scars.

Suddenly the man's attention shifted from me and a look of shock filled his face. I tried to follow his gaze but my eyes landed on Itachi's and I was forced to look away.

"Itachi." Kisame's voice filled the silence and Itachi's face snapped to meet his gaze. "We have a problem."

"What is it?" He harshly questioned. Kisame bent low and whispered something into Itachi's ear. I couldn't hear what he said, but Itachi's eyes narrowed dangerously as Kisame finished. He straightened his back and waited for Itachi's order.

"Kisame, go and intercept them. I'll join you and we will drag them out of the town."

"And this mission?" He asked. Itachi stood up and glanced down at me. I was thrown into an unwanted shock and could not speak.

"Suma will remain and complete our mission."

"Wait…What?" I stammered. Itachi and Kisame were….leaving me?!

"You'll be able to handle this simple mission, right Suma?" His eyes searched in mine for an answer and he must have found something because the turned to leave.

I don't know what happened next… I was so confused at what was going on that I suddenly turned super fast, or Itachi had allowed me grab his sleeve. Either way, my hand was now o clutched to Itachi's cloak sleeve and I was tugging on it like a child. Itachi paused and turned to look at me; his expression was mildly amused.

"W-what is going on?" I managed to ask. I was still a little freaked out by the whole Itachi had allowed me to touch him thing.

"Kisame has discovered a long time target of the Akatsuki in this town. He and I are going to confront the target and you are going to complete the original mission. Clear?" I nodded swiftly but I didn't let go of my hold on him. I could almost feel his heat underneath the thick cloak.

"What is this new target?" I asked. Itachi looked straight at me and the look he gave scared me more that anything in the world. His lips slowly crept into a power hungry smile and his eyes yearned to kill.

"A demon…The nine tailed Kyuubi actually." With that, he easily broke my hold on him and disappeared out of the bar.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After what seemed like an eternity, the slutty waitress walked up to me again. I was very tempted to order something teaming with alcohol just to entertain myself, but I resisted. She had a very subdued look on her face so I immediately snapped to attention.

"Um. That Toto guy is here to see you."

"Tidus…" I corrected and she threw me a nasty look. I bit my tongue in order to hold in an equally nasty insult.

"Whatever! He's a room in the back. Number 4." She turned on her heel and strutted away and I climbed out of the booth that I had been sitting in for hours. I stretched my arms above my head as I walked to the hallway by the bar. I found the wooden door with a dirty metal 4 nailed to it and walked in.

The room had no lights and only one window which led to limited light. In front of me I could see the shadow of a man leaning against a desk. I shut the door behind me and faced the man with crossed arms. I opened my mouth to speak but he beat me to it.

"My, my, my… look how you've grown. You're beautiful Suma." He announced in a strangely familiar voice.

"How do you know my name?" I asked in shock.

"You look so much like her it's shocking…" This was a different, but still familiar voice. It came from behind me. I turned around quickly and could see another man leaning against the wall. I tried to see his face, but even squinting didn't help. It was just too dark in the corners of the room to see anything. I backed slowly away from the wall and towards the large beam of moon light that lit up the middle of the room.

"Who are you?" I asked, slightly annoyed. I got a Tsk of disappointment from the man near the desk.

"Who are we, she asks…" The wall man announced.

"What a shame…" The desk man replied. I was facing the window and noticed that the bar was placed near a hill and a forest.

"Quit fucking with me and tell me who you are!" I demanded through clenched teeth. The two men straightened up and walked towards each other until they were blocking the moonlight. I discovered from their clothing that they were ninja…hunters in fact. And then my eyes reached their faces….oh Kami…

Their hair was like they had always worn it; short and spiked, they even parted it to the side still. Charcoal bangs framed their effortlessly beautiful faces and fell in front of their black eyes. They were almost the same and it had been at least 4 years…

The only thing that was different about them was the fact that their eyes held no joy, no spirit, and no happiness. I stared at their identical faces and held back a cry of anguish.

"Hello Little Sister." Yuri said in his normal cockiness. Ari just smiled at me with cold eyes. My brothers…the twins…my how things have changed.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

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	6. Gravity

Fate is in fact, a huge bitch. Either that or the gods hate me…there was no other explanation.

My twin brothers back at me silently and the minutes dragged on. They were still very handsome, but it was oblivious that they had changed. All the youth in their faces had melted into a hard mask and their eyes were not as wide as they used to be. I was, for once, at a loss for words. How many years have I been gone? I couldn't remember…

"Wh-what are you doing here?!" I asked after I finally thought of a question.

"Suma. We've been looking for you…for a while." Ari answered. This wasn't going to be a pleasant reunion. They were not smiling.

"You have been extremely difficult to track." Yuri added. He was crossing his arms and Ari had his hands on his hips. They were mirror images of each other.

"I'm sorry that I made _your_ lives so difficult!" I spat at them. They narrowed their eyes together.

"Now, now little sister. Play nice." Yuri corrected. I glared at him.

"I'm hardly little anymore Yuri." His eyes widened a fraction; I was the only one in our family that could pick out who was who.

"You can still see us…After all these years." Yuri said.

"You haven't changed much." I stated causing their expressions to harden drastically. Ari looked at me with unusually cruel eyes.

"Yes, Suma, we have changed….and apparently, you have too." They looked me over and I glared at them.

"You have grown so much Suma…" Yuri said in a soft and almost brotherly tone. It hurt my heart very much to hear it, but my days of being the weak little sister where finished. I continued my glare…

"Yes…it's uncanny how much you resemble her…" Ari said in a small voice causing my glare to harden.

"Don't you dare talk about her! Especially to me!" I warned through clenched teeth. "You have no right to even say her name!" Their expressions turned into anger.

"She was our mother too Suma." Yuri said.

"We knew her a lot longer than you did." Ari added. I stared at them with hate filled eyes.

"A lot of help that was for her!!" That shocked them into silence. They transformed before my eyes from cold hunter-nin into my brothers. The brothers that I have missed for so long...

"Suma," Ari started in his soft voice, the voice that had once lulled me to sleep with stories of great adventures or songs of heroic deeds. But I couldn't sleep any longer…I was finally awake… "We loved her very much…"

"But not enough! It was never enough!" I yelled again. I didn't care how much I hurt them…I had been hurt and wanted them to feel the same pain.

"Sumey…You have to believe that we tried as hard as we could…we didn't want her to die." My old nickname…the one my brothers had given me when I was still very young…it tore me up inside to hear it.

"And yet she did!" I was yelling loudly, but I couldn't care less. "And don't you dare speak to me like I'm still a child!"

"What could we have done Suma?!" Yuri asked with sad eyes. Ari didn't even look at me. "You didn't help her either!" I gasped in shock and felt like I had been slapped across the face.

"I was ten years old!!" Tears were starting to form behind my eyes and I cursed myself. "I was a silly little girl Yuri! You and Ari were trained genin!" Silence filled the room as I attempted to calm down. Ari's eyes finally found my face.

"Suma, We…" But I wasn't going to be told off. I wasn't going to let them away guilt free. Kami knows that I didn't.

"NO! You did nothing!!" I was screaming again and pointing. I didn't care if I looked like a child; I didn't care about anything. "And you are still doing NOTHING! I ran away from that place, I ran away from HIM!! And what did you two do?! You crawled back like dogs and now you are HELPING him! You make me sick!!"

Instantly their big brother faces melted and they were hunter-nin once again. I glared at them as Yuri pulled out a scroll.

"Yes Suma, you did run away." He opened the scroll and I saw that it was a trapping jutsu.

"And yes Suma, we do work for him." Ari continued, pulling out a kunai. "And it is our mission to bring you back." He began to walk towards me and I crouched into fighting position.

"We're sorry Suma. Truly, we are." Yuri said to me.

"….So am I." I responded, pulling out a katana that Itachi had let me borrow. He said it way for emergency use only so I figured that this was the perfect emergency.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Thank Kami for the Akatsuki.

I dodged a kick from Yuri as Ari threw more kunai at me. I was successfully able to miss these as I punched Yuri in the jaw and jumped to safety.

"You really have grown Suma." Ari sounded disappointed.

"Yes…it's extraordinary." Yuri said as he massaged his jaw. I extracted my katana from the wall where it had been imbedded by a kick from Ari.

"You didn't hear?" I asked quietly. They moved in for another attack and I got punched in the stomach before I got away. I flew at the wall and flipped just in time to avoid a collision. "I'm Akatsuki now." They stared at me in obvious shock and I glowered at them. I can't believe how weak they expected me to be.

"Really?" Ari asked in an interested tone. I sliced his cheek with a scattered kunai as my answer. Yuri threw one back at me, but I deflected it with the sword in my hand.

"Ari…I think we need to use…"

"I agree…"

I was running in for a punch while they were chatting but got pinned to the wall by both of them. I struggled as hard as I could but it was no use…they had me trapped. Worst part was the fact that they were very careful not to touch my skin. I had lost my trump card!

Ari reached for the trapping scroll and Yuri grabbed my wrist. He held it up and examined it despite my cursing and struggling.

"What is this Suma?" He asked in a curious tone. It was foolish for him to ask, he already knew…or he should have. If his senses were as advanced as they should be, they both must have noticed the chakra ties in the chains.

"None of your Damn business!" I shouted at him as I attempted to kick him in groin. He avoided the blow with a scared expression. Ari unrolled the scroll and laid it across my chest. They activated it and jumped away quickly.

It started instantly and I had no time to avoid affects. My body was drained of all chakra and energy. I screamed in pain and attempted to rid myself of the leech scroll, but it was no use. I slumped to the floor like a rag doll and my vision shifted in and out of focus.

My brothers were before me, Ari kneeling in front of the standing Yuri. They were both looking at me with expressionless faces.

"…please…don't…" I could barely open my mouth to speak.

"We're sorry Suma." Yuri's voice said. My vision was blacking out, along with my mind.

"Truly Sumey…we are." Ari actually sounded upset….or I was imagining it….I couldn't really tell. I was about to give into the sleep that my body begged for when another voice filled my ears.

"What are you doing?!" I was sure I was sleeping when I heard him. I must have been. His perfectly low and soothing voice filled me with strange happiness and I forced my eyes open. If he really was there, I wanted to see him one more time before I was taken back to hell.

I was not dreaming however. Itachi was behind my brothers, who were standing with their backs to me, facing him. He looked very angry…maybe the maddest I have ever seen him. The look in his eyes gave me goose bumps and I was afraid…

Not for myself…for my brothers….

I still loved them….

"What have you done to Suma?!" Itachi's tone demanded an answer but my brothers did not speak. Itachi got ready to attack and I knew at once that he meant to kill.

"Itachi…" I could almost sense his body freeze. "….Itachi…" I felt a swoosh of air and I knew that he was besides me. "Please Itachi….don't kill them…they are….my brothers…" I saw his expressionless face, his blood red eyes, and I could not help but to smile. "….ple…ase…"

Itachi's swirling pinwheels were the last things that I saw before I gave into the sleep that crashed over me like an ocean wave.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I felt cool, rushing wind and a warm body.

I heard labored breathing and sporadic low growls.

I could smell forest and sweat.

I saw green blurs…nothing but green blurs…

And then…

I saw nothing….

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

When I woke up, the first thing I could see warmed my heart. A very handsome man was sitting…sleeping…in a wooden chair across from the bed I was in. After a few blinks I realized that the man was Itachi…and that I was not back at my home…I was in Itachi's room at the Akatsuki compound.

With a groan, I stood from the bed and stretched my arms. I noticed that my body was bandaged in the places that I had been hit and my dirty clothes had been changed. I was once again in a long sleeved, black button up collard shirt. I laughed slightly when I realized that this was the first thing I had ever worn in the Akatsuki building.

I had been watching Itachi sleeping for a while before it hit me. He had saved me from being kidnapped by my brothers and had returned me the compound. He probably was the one who bandaged me also….

I creeped over to where he sat sleeping peacefully and I looked at his perfect face. The bags under his eyes had grown substantially and I felt responsible. His black hair had fallen across his eyes and it annoyed me for some reason. Slowly and carefully, I took my right hand and lightly pushed his bangs away. My hand stopped when it had reached the side of his head but I did not pull away. Itachi's red eyes slid open and looked into my green ones. He did not move a single inch. We were silent for many moments.

"You're awake…" He stated.

"Yes…" I didn't really have anything else to say… "Have you been here the whole time?" Itachi's eyes changed swiftly, but I could not catch it.

"No." He answered simply. My hand remained on his head and he didn't remove it…Neither did I… He looked deeply into my eyes and I felt like I was being pulled towards him. But the chains were still.

"How long have I been sleeping?" I didn't really want to know the answer… but I had to.

"3 days." My eyes widened in shock and I felt instantly self conscious…I must reek! My stomach rumbled to prove his statement and I removed my hand from Itachi and placed it over my middle to try and hush it. Itachi stood up and looked at me with an amused expression.

"I'm leaving. Go to the kitchen soon." He turned from me and walked to the door. I watched him leave and noticed something weird. Was he limping?!

My stomach growled again and I was thrown from my thoughts. I rushed to the bathroom; all thoughts about anything but clean water and shampoo were abandoned.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After an hour in the shower, I finally felt clean enough to greet the day….or night. I didn't exactly know what time of day it was. But my caring at that point was very limited so I got ready with out a second thought about the time.

I looked into the mirror and scowled at my reflection. My hair was growing longer. It was at my shoulders and I remembered what my brothers had said…

"You look so much like her…" I told myself. And I really did. My vibrant green eyes were not at caring and motherly as hers, and even if my black hair was growing…it would never be as long and beautiful as hers. But still, I looked like her sister…her daughter…her.

I rushed to Itachi's weapon closet and broke the lock off. I didn't care if he would be angry at me…I just needed to rid myself of these ghosts. I grabbed a kunai and ran back to the bathroom. I grabbed some hair in my left hand and I sliced through with my right.

Once my hair was back to my original bob, I cleaned up the extra strands and threw them away. A loud growling filled the bathroom and reverberated off of the walls. It was time to eat….a lot.

I basically ran to the kitchen and went straight to the fridge. Once I had grabbed everything halfway edible I walked to the table and began my feast. It wasn't until I sat full and content that I noticed that I was not alone. Kisame sat four seats to my left, drinking sake. He didn't look at me.

"Good…um..day?" I said in confusion. I got silence as an answer. "…so…"

"Be quiet girl." He sounded very angry.

"What's your problem?" I asked in a hurt voice. Kisame was a jerk and all, but normally he was ok to be around. Now he was just hostile.

"You are!" He glared at me with what felt like hatred.

"Wh-what?! What did I do?" Kisame drained his cup and filled it again.

"It's what you didn't…don't do that is the problem."

"I don't understand…"

"Exactly." I leaned back in my chair and rooted myself. I wasn't going to leave until he explained his ramblings. And I wasn't letting him leave either.

"Make sense…" I demanded. Kisame drained his cup again before he looked at me. His face was full of anger and I flinched a bit.

"Do you even realize what you do?" I got even more confused…this blue man was making absolutely no sense.

"What are you talking about?"

"Of course you don't. You don't even know the effect you have…how sad." Kisame stood from his chair and turned to leave.

"Kisame! What are you talking about?!" He paused but did not look at me.

"Have you noticed something different about Itachi Suma?" I was immediately about to say no but his words made me think…he had been limping…

"We were so close to getting the demon…but he heard you…and he chose instantly." My eyes widened as I started to understand what Kisame was telling me.

"But…who?" I asked through unmoving lips. Kisame walked toward the door, his hand still holding the sake bottle.

"Remember what I told you girl. Any disloyalties will be dealt with immediately and severely." And then Kisame was gone. The weight of his words fell upon me like a strange gravity. Itachi had chosen me that day…and Pein had punished him for it… Itachi was limping…and I was not back at my old home… I was here and I was….with him.

My mind filled with a million questions and my head started to ache. Sasori entered the kitchen and I glanced at him with still wide eyes.

"Suma-san." I shook my head and pushed the thoughts away. "Pein wants to see you."

I was in a dream…I had to be. I don't remember speaking to Sasori, but I still heard my voice fill the empty kitchen. I didn't remember telling my legs to move, but they did anyway. I was outside Pein's door with out any idea of how I got there. It creeped open and I walked into darkness.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Are you even trying Suma?" Pein asked monotonously. I gasped as my concentration broke and I tore my hands away from the man laying motionless on the floor. He wasn't dead, thankfully, but he would be out for several days. Pein had brought me prisoners to practice Reidou on… my soul blackened and my heart froze.

"Yes! I'm trying as hard as I can! Please, I just need a break!" I was kneeling on the floor in front of Pein's desk. He was sitting in his big chair, watching me expressionlessly.

"You have not been making much progress. You still can not implant orders… That is upsetting…" Pein had many different tricks for Reidou. One of them was using my chakra and control over a person to make them slaves… He wanted me to force people to do things. It was not working; I knew what it was like to be a prisoner and didn't try as hard to push someone else.

"We've been at this for days… I need to rest!" Every day for about 7 hours at a time I would be called into Pein's office, for practice. There would always be a new practice dummy…a new mind with new memories to cloud my already overflowing head. It was exhausting work and Kisame's words hadn't helped me in any way.

I hadn't really seen Itachi since the day I had come back. He was being sent on different missions all of the time.

"…Yes. Maybe rest will do you some good." Pein's chin was resting on his folded hands and he was looking at me curiously. "Your power has yet to fully awaken….maybe…" He became silent as he stared at me. I stood up and walked to the only door in the room.

"Suma." I paused, but did not turn. "Your next mission will be with Hidan. In about a week. Be prepared." I stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind me.

Ok…that was it! I was going to escape. I was going to kill Hidan on the way to our mission next week and then I was going to run. I was going to run and never look back.

I reached Itachi's room and closed the door behind me quietly after I entered.

"Oh!" Itachi stood before me. He was next to the window, his profile in my view. His cloak and shirt were on the bed, and he was wrapping medical tape around his left bicep. Red rested on my cheeks as I took him in. He was painfully handsome and shirtless… Damnit!

"Hello Itachi…" He cut the tape with his teeth and threw the roll in the desk in front of him. We stood in silence for many moments. Itachi was not going to speak, so I took the initiative.

"Itachi…thank you." I said quietly. "For helping me…"

"I did not do it for you." He stated. "You are not allowed to leave the Akatsuki, so your brothers had to be stopped." My brothers…..

"I understand…and thank you for letting them live…" Itachi turned to look at me with black eyes.

"How do you know if I killed them or not?" I smiled at him.

"I just do…so thank you." He continued to gaze at me and I took a daring step forward. He remained still.

"You do not hate them." Another statement.

"No." I paused and looked at the floor. "No, I do not hate them." Itachi walked slowly towards me. It seemed like he was going to leave the room.

"I'm sorry Itachi." I whispered. Suddenly, I was slammed into the wall right next to the door. Itachi's large hands were gripping painfully into my arms and his red eyes glared painfully into my soul.

"You do not hate them….After what happened to her." His voice was harsh and cutting. I stared at his well toned chest. "Your lack of hatred makes you weak…"

The silence that followed was defining. I didn't even attempt to break free from his still painful grip. I was too tired.

"I do hate Itachi." I whispered. He pushed me into the wall harder and I winced in pain.

"Who do you hate?" His dangerous whisper filled my ear and I shivered.

"My father…the brother who betrayed my mother…" I closed my eyes and took a breath. "…Pein…myself.." Itachi became very still.

"You hate Pein: because you are here. You hate yourself….because you are weak." It wasn't a question, but it wasn't a statement. It was more like he was waiting for me to prove that it was true.

"I do hate myself for my weakness. But I hate Pein…because he…he hurt you." Itachi's grip loosened instantly, but he still held on to me. "I'm so sorry Itachi."

What happened next…. Was strange…

The world was still for a mere second. Then Itachi moved swiftly. His eyes now bore into mine, his face just inches away. Something in the back of my mind screamed at me….it didn't want him to hinder my escape plans… But his warm breath filled my mouth and the smell of peaches and forest filled my mind. His low voice lulled out through the silence.

"Weak…" And then…he kissed me.

My eyes widened in complete and utter shock before they closed in bliss. He was so soft…so tender. His kiss was nothing like him. It was almost humorous.

His lips felt so good upon mine I could have cried. I felt his warm tongue at my bottom lip and gave him the entrance that he asked for. It was surprising that someone like Itachi would ask…but I liked it. His tongue wandered and explored and I sighed with longing. I had been kissed before, but they were nothing like this.

He easily won the short lived battle for dominance but I didn't care at all. My hand fell onto his perfect chest and his hands wound up in my hair. He pulled away and I gasped for breath. Itachi looked into my eyes and I instantly understood what Kisame had meant.

"Itachi." I whispered and was rewarded with another wonderfully amazing kiss. He brought his lips down to my jaw and then explored my neck. His weight pushed me tantalizingly into the wall and his hands fell to my hips. I brought my own hands to his hair and realized how soft it was. Itachi was a very strange person…

Another moan escaped from me when Itachi had reached my collar bone. He had slipped off my cloak during our first kiss and it lay in a heap around my feet. He nipped and licked my pale skin and then brought his lips to mine again. This time, I fought back. I was the one to drop the kiss and I was the one continue the kisses. He bent towards me even more as my lips reached his ear.

"Itachi…" I whispered. A low sound came from his throat. He pushed me back into the wall, a lot more gently, and brought his hand to my face. Another kiss…and another….and another.

I had lost track of time, kisses…..everything. The only thing that mattered right now was the beautiful man I wanted…and to my immense joy, he seemed to want me as well. I never wanted this to stop…I never wanted anything ever again….what was this man doing to me?!

"Suma." It was the first time he had spoken during our kiss. He held onto me tightly and whispered it into my ear. My heart leapt. He kissed up and down my neck and my skin burned where his lips touched. "Suma…what have you done?" It was more to himself than to me, but it still was confusing. I attempted to push him away a bit and he obliged by looking me in the eyes.

"Itachi…what's happening?" I asked, afraid of the answer I could get. He closed his eyes in slight agony and laid his forehead upon mine. It was a long time before he spoke again.

"You make me so…weak." I gasped in shock but his eyes didn't open. He simply bent down and kissed me again. This kiss was very light and chaste. And, to my dismay, it ended suddenly. The door opened swiftly and Deidara was at the door, right next to me. I was about to cry from embarrassment when I realized that Itachi was no longer holding me. In fact, he was once again at the window, this time with a black shirt on. He turned expressionless and looked at Deidara.

"Pein wants to see you Itachi." Deidara threw me a confused look before he walked away from the door frame. I glanced at Itachi with wide eyes and he looked back blankly. After an eternity, Itachi slowly followed Deidara out of the room. He said nothing to me as he left and I was left alone.

Except, as he passed me…I felt a warm hand brush over mine, squeezing it swiftly. And then….he was gone.

I slumped to the floor as tears began to fall from my eyes.

"Damnit!" I whispered in anger as I slammed my fist into the wooden floor. It left a slight dent but my hand ached. It was the same one he had touched.

Itachi was going to stop me from escaping…and it was all my fault.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

**OMG!! IM SORRY THAT IT TOOK THIS LONG!!**

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	7. Release

Itachi didn't come back for a very long time.

The sun came up. I ate, I showered, I trained and then I returned to my room. Or should I call it his room…

The sun went down and still Itachi did not return.

Needless to say, I was worried.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was at least 1:30 in the morning when he came back. I didn't see the door open and I didn't see him enter the room. Actually…I couldn't see anything at that moment because I was a sleep. But not only was I asleep, I was sprawled out on my back with my right leg dangling off of Itachi's bed… That's right. I was sleeping on Itachi's bed.

The sudden weight on the bed was what shook me from my sleep. I slowly opened my eyes and I could see his beautiful figure through the blur. He was sitting near my side and his elbows were resting on his knees. Itachi was not looking at me; he was staring at the wall. He probably already knew that I was up, but he didn't move or speak…or do anything.

We sat there (he sat, I was still lying down) in silence for a long time. I wouldn't have done anything, but something about the way he was acting frightened me. I slowly reached out my left hand to touch his shoulder.

"Suma." His tone froze my movements before I could feel his skin. He didn't turn his head to look at me. "Suma, I…"

"No." I interrupted him. I, Suma, the weak little girl had just interrupted the most dangerous man on the planet. And I was still alive. Itachi turned to look at me and my eyes widened. He had his usual stoic yet cocky look in place, but there was something different about it. Something horrifying…and something wonderful.

Suddenly, Itachi's handsome face was centimeters from mine, his steel grip locking my wrists to the soft bed. I could feel a blush rising to my cheeks and a stammer beginning to form in my mouth, but Itachi's blood-red eyes silenced my speech.

"Why Suma?" It wasn't a question, more of an accusation. "What have you done?" Silence filled the room as a million questions filled my head. Something was wrong with Itachi and it was my fault. The only problem was…I hadn't really done anything. Had I?

I stared into Itachi's eyes for who knows how long. After an eternity his eye's slowly shifted from the deadly blood tint to the steel black. My head was spinning and I had to bite my lower lip to lock them in. Itachi's ever vigilant eyes shifted from my own green ones to my lips…then all hell broke loose.

Itachi's lips cascaded upon mine and my breath was stolen. The tiny heart inside my chest burst into a thousand tiny pieces and all of my brain functions ceased to run. We kissed and kissed and kissed. It felt wonderfully familiar as Itachi's large and calloused hands gripped my hair and wrist. Gradually his lips made there way to my neck and the train he created on my skin burst into flames. I was going over the edge and so was he. But before I let myself give in, I had to know something.

"Itachi!" I managed to gasp out. He was butterfly kissing down my stomach and paused, but he didn't lift his head. "Itachi, what's happening?" Slowly he brought his head up and stared into my eyes. His hand untangled itself from my hair and landed on my waist. The other one was still gripping my wrist while he shifted his weight so that he was sitting on top of me. I looked into his captivating eyes for a while before I could begin speaking. "What is going on?"

Itachi slowly brought his right hand from my wrist and held it above me. For a split second I thought that he was going to hit me but he softly stroked the exposed skin of my collar bone causing me to blush slightly.

"That." He said in a low voice. "My affect on you is…strange…and dangerous."

"How so?" I whispered. His hand has stroking nameless patterns on my stomach.

"They could use your affection for me against you." Affection for him? He didn't say anything his feelings for me. But he had to have some…didn't he? Itachi stared into my eyes and I stared back.

"And…have I no affect on you?" I could barley speak. It was such a strange question to ask, given my current position. And not only the whole Itachi on top of me thing…

"Hmm…" Itachi thought. A thing I was just beginning to notice about Itachi was that he never rushed to speak. He always thought carefully about what he was going to say. His thumb brushed over my belly button and sent a shiver up my spine. Itachi smirked and bent towards me. His hand touched my cheek and brushed across my lips. Black eyes fell to my lips and his moved closer. The wonderful smell of peaches and coffee filled my mouth and my head went dizzy.

"Your affect on me…is maddening…" I froze and looked straight into his black eyes.

"What do you mean?" His hand reached around and rested on the back of my neck. It sent another set of shivers up my spine and I had to close my eyes. For some reason tears were threatening to form. But I wouldn't cry. I couldn't.

"Suma." He wanted me to open my eyes, but I couldn't. Something was coming, something I didn't want to happen. "Suma, look at me." But I could not deny his order. My damp green eyes found his steely black ones. "Suma, you make me…weak. I cannot stand the feeling that you give me and yet, I cannot go a day without it." With that, his lips captured mine once again, and this time I gave in utterly and completely. I could have stopped him, could have asked him more questions, could have forced him to tell me what exactly was going on…but I didn't. I knew that something bad was going to happen later, something terrible. But before the bad happened, I knew that something wonderful would. Something I wouldn't stop for the world.

Itachi slowly lowered his kisses to my exposed neck while one of my hands flew to his hair. It was silly, but I had always wondered how soft it would be. To my un-surprise, it was the most amazing hair I had ever touched in my entire life. I ripped the twist off the back of his head and let his hair free. It cascaded over his shoulders and tickled where it touched my pale skin.

A blush rose to my cheeks as I felt my boots being slid off of my feet. I had been training extra hard today which caused me to pass out as soon as my head hit the pillow. Not to be taken advantage of, I skillfully unbuttoned his dark cloak, which gave me sight of his perfect body. My hands eagerly began tracing over his every muscle and they did not stop even when I could feel Itachi's gaze on my face. But when I absentmindedly noticed that he had stopped, I followed in suit.

"Suki, this is a dangerous game that we are playing. I have no idea what is going to happen tomorrow." So it was tomorrow…whatever he was dreading, whatever would end this, whatever would kill us was going to happen tomorrow. My hands traced up to his neck and cupped behind it. I looked up into his eyes and although it was I who had the power of Reidou, it was Itachi who invading _my_ soul. What he found there must have worried him, because I could feel the chakra chains beginning to pull my hands apart. I clasped them tighter together and pulled Itachi's face towards mine.

"Itachi. I'm ready…for everything." I said with absolute certainty. It was weird, neither of us had said anything about love. Something in me made me think it was impossible for Itachi to love. But he was here. He was with me. And that seemed to be all I needed. To me, Itachi wasn't really like air. You can't live without air because it's something you need. I was sure that I could live without anything, no matter how dead of a life it would be. After all, once I killed my father and brother, I wouldn't really have a life anymore.

"How I wish that were true." He murmured as his lips captured mine with a new ferocity. My hands quickly pulled his cloak off of his back and threw it to the floor. His strong hands landed on the hem of my black pants and gently tugged. They slipped off as if they were made of silk. The air grew thinner and we were both gasping for more.

No, Itachi was not my air nor my life. He was not the sun or the earth to me. He was something even more intangible. Something that I couldn't even think to be without. Itachi was something that I didn't have to worry about because he was something I couldn't control. Itachi was gravity; a strong gravity what was constantly pushing me one way. You can't control gravity and you can't get rid if it. And you can't live without gravity because it was a simple part of life that was always there, no matter what. Itachi's gravity was pulling me down, surrounding me until it was all I had.

And for once, I was going to go with the flow.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A pound on the door was my wake up call the next day. When I sat up I realized that Itachi was not in the room, but that was to be expected. I pulled the covers away and noticed that I was quite beat up; a few bruises here and there, along with some love bites. I quickly pulled on some clothes and my cloak and then opened the door.

It was Hidan. Wonderful.

"Un, Suma-san we have a mission, yeah." Deidara was behind him with an anxious look on his pretty face.

"Yeah, so you'd better hurry your skinny ass up. We have to see Pein." Hidan said with a cocky smirk. I was very tempted to punch his smirking face in, but I figured I would have to wait for the perfect moment. With a nod, I followed the two down the hall, where Pein waited with my fate. "I would keep your big mouth shut Bitch. If you know what's good for you." We entered the room and Pein turned around to face us.

"Good Morning Suma." His voice gave me chills, but I ignored them, not wanting to give Pein even more power over me. "I trust you had a pleasant night." A blush would have hit my cheeks if I wasn't so utterly outraged. How did he know about what happened?! And worse, to mention it in front of Deidara! I forced myself to remain silent; an Olympian feat.

"Suma, I am sending you on a mission with Deidara and Hidan."

"What?!" I could settle for bronze. "What about Kisame and Itachi?! I'm not going anywhere with Hidan unless you want him back in pieces!" A chuckle from said man arose from behind me, but I didn't turn to flip him off like I wanted. Pein looked at me with no emotion as he answered.

"I think you remember how your last mission with Itachi went. You don't wish to lead him astray again, do you?" My gaze fell to the floor, along with my heart. I had been trying not to remember the last mission or the pain my actions had caused Itachi. I was too busy kissing him too… "Rest assured if you should fall during this mission, Deidara or Hidan will not attempt to save you." No duh!

"What is the mission?" I asked in a smaller voice.

"You will be briefed on it on the way." The two men behind me bowed and exited whereas I just turned on my heel. But I froze when I heard his chilling voice calling out to me, "Remember Rei, it isn't only you I can hurt." It was strange, but as soon as he said that Itachi's perfect face filled my mind. I quickly left the dark room.

I was given five minutes to prepare for the mission.

I quickly filled my weapons pouch with shuriken and exploding seals, and then a small backpack with extra clothes and a small knife. After I was all packed I stood in silence as I looked over the room. For some strange reason, I was sad that I would never see it again.

"Knock it off Suma," I whispered to myself, "Remember your mission." But I couldn't keep my hand from running over the soft silk sheets or my lips from smiling at the memory the feeling produced. I leaned against the desk and closed my eyes, trying to remember that wonderful night.

I had been living in Itachi's room for about a year, but I had only been his prisoner for a few months. Even though my chakra chains were still on, he hadn't used them in weeks. I found myself listening to him more and more, and he was ordering less and less. It was stupid for me to have let him hinder me the way he did, but looking back on it…did I really have a choice? And now I was leaving, just like he did, only I wasn't going to come back. I was going to knock Deidara out, kill Hidan, and run. I was going to run and run and never look back to this place. After my mission was complete and my father was dead, who knows? Maybe I would find Itachi and we could pick up where Pein had torn us apart. Maybe Itachi would even find me… Wishful thinking, I know, but thinking all the same.

"Hey Bitch!" The door slammed open, but I didn't open my eyes. "Time to go! You can sit here waiting for Itachi to nail you when we get back!" I stood up and walked to the door, pausing to look Hidan in the eyes.

"I would watch your mouth Hidan," I whispered, "Because if you ever speak like that to me again, there isn't a god in this world or the next that will be able to save you." And with that, I walked past the white haired man and down the hall.

I was ready to go.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so SORRY!!**

**I know that this took long, but I had the worst writers block in the history of my life!! I wanted to chop my hands off!! AAAHHHH SORRY!!**

**The story will be ending in 2 to 3 chapters, so please stick with me!**

**I want to thank everyone who has been reviewing!! I LOVE YOU!!**

**And even though I don't deserve it, PLEASE REVIEW!! It will definitely help me finish quicker!! ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR CONCERNS ARE GREATLY APPERCIATED!!**

**IM SO SORRY!! **


	8. Discovery

After about an hour of silent running, my quiet resolve broke down. I needed information if the escape plan I was formulating in my head was going to work.

"So, are you going to tell me what the mission is, or am I just gonna hafta wing it?" I asked to no one in particular. Hidan would be an ass hole no matter who I asked and I wasn't in the mood for fighting…yet.

"Well, since you are going to be such a nosy bitch. '_Our_' mission is to rendezvous with some business partners a few miles away from Tokigami village." Hidan answered with an obnoxious amount idiot.

"What do you mean '_our'_?" I asked suspiciously. Something in the back of my head was going off in alarm at the way he said it. He didn't look too willing to answer so I turned to Deidara. He avoided my gaze, which worried me further.

"Deidara? What is the mission?" I was becoming panicked because my escape plan required facts, ones which were eluding me.

"It's just a little reunion…" Hidan said with a glint in his eyes that almost had me hyperventilating.

"Hidan, enough!" Deidara snapped in a very harsh and uncharacteristic tone. That was the last straw and I instantly stopped running. I left a cloud of dust from the dirt I slid to a stop on and two identical trail marks. The men turned around quickly and watched me.

"One of you two better tell me what the fuck is going on or I wil…"

You know that little something that had nudged me before, will now it was fully on alarm mode. I sensed them before I heard them, but even then it was too late. My sentence ran into silence as I felt my own flesh and blood rushing towards me.

"You are 3 miles off the route." A familiar voice filled my ears and stabbed at my heart.

"The little bitch caught on earlier than expected." Hidan said to no one in particular.

"Never underestimate a member of the Miahizo Clan." My plans for escape shattered as the oh-too-familiar face of my oldest brother came into view. Had I turned around I would have seen Ari and Yuri behind me, but my eyes were locked with his. He silently handed Deidara a small package.

"No…" I whispered in shock causing Hidan to cackle.

"Our business is done here, un." Deidara said in a dark tone. "Hidan, lets go."

"Deidara!" I called out in utter shock. My brain was refusing to work at the moment. "What the hell is this?!"

"Our mission." He answered coldly. Hidan snorted again and shot me a wink. "We were ordered to deliver the only Female member of the royal Miahizo clan to her brothers, yeah." So Pein had planned this…probably since I had first arrived at the complex. But.. then why?!

"Too bad Itachi isn't here to save you." Hidan chided. "Oh well, it's been fun Suma. If they don't kill you look me up. I'll show you a much better time that Itachi did!" With that last cruel remark, Deidara and Hidan disappeared, leaving me with my long lost brothers.

"Long time no see Suma." Ari said from behind me. I wasn't stupid enough to turn to him, my eldest brother was not going to loose my sight. Last time he had…

"Lets go." Rhuai said sharply before turning around. He expected me to follow without question? He still thought me to be the same weak little girl I was so long ago? I would be happy to disappoint him. Instantly I sprang into action, leaping at him while pulling a kunai out of my side pocket. Right before I could slice the sharp metal though his soft neck I felt my body flying the wrong way. Straight at the ground…

Yuri and Ari were on me in a nano-second, taking my weapon and binding my hands. I struggled relentlessly, never loosing sight of my most hated brother. He slowly turned and walked in front of me.

"Good Suma." His deep voice was cloaked in a mix of excitement and annoyance. "You almost nicked me." He gave a nod to Yuri and I was on my feet in a second. Two sets of hands were restraining my shoulders as Rhuai came even closer. His dark eyes looked me up and down as I fumed with hatred. I wanted to kill him so badly it hurt. "You have grown very much Suma. Very beautiful, very powerful." He reached up to touch my face but I snapped my teeth at his rough hand. My glare remained.

"Yuri and Ari told me, but I didn't believe it. You look so much like her…"

"You bastard! Don't you EVER talk about her!! I'm going to kill you!!" I screamed as I struggled against the twins. Rhuai's expression didn't change as my breathing started to regulate.

"You are coming back with us Suma. Hitomi is dead and it's time for you to join the family and help us end the war." Well, that was it for my sanity. With an animalistic shriek I lunged for him, forgetting for a second that the twins still had me. Then with an amazing show of strength, I was free from their grasp and flying towards Rhuai. He grabbed unto my throat the same time I knocked him over. I thankfully had a bit of Sasori in me and managed to pin down his arms with wire. I had hands at both sides of his face, forcing his eyes to meet mine as I unleashed my Reidou.

The only thing I saw before I passed out was a beautiful woman with shiny and amazingly long black hair. There was a strange red tint to the one memory that stuck out.

My mother was crying…

X-X-X-X-X-X

I awoke to blackness. There was something covering my eyes. My hands were tied behind my back and I believe I was lying on top of a paper mat. I sat up slowly and gasped at how sore my neck was.

"Oh, she's awake." Ari exclaimed, silencing the voices that had been murmuring.

"Bring her to me." A very weak sounding voice ordered and I was almost instantly on my feet and pushed forward. The blindfold was untied and I blinked quickly against the intruding light. The room slowly came into focus… the throne room. This was where she…no, I needed all my thought to get me out of this mess. I couldn't remember those thoughts right now. I quickly scanned the room and found Yuri, Ari, Rhuai (with a few red claw marks on his face. Score for me.) and finally a stranger. The man was leaning in a large padded chair, eyeing me with high interest. His small eyes were pale and had bags underneath them. His skin was papery and wrinkled and he was almost completely bald. It took me about a minute to realize that this old broken man was my father.

"Suma…" He drew out in a reedy and wispy voice. I cringed inwardly at the weak sound. "You are finally back." Even with all my hatred boiling underneath my skin, it shocked me to discover how frail my father looked. "Welcome home daughter." He smiled gingerly at me and I resisted the urge to throw up.

"It is custom to kneel before the king." A nameless woman said harshly from my father's side. I glanced at her and noticed how afraid she looked. She was tall and plain, with brown hair and high cheekbones. I also notice how very young she looked. Only a few years older than me.

"Fuck off." I spat, which caused her to cringe. Father looked at me with disapproval.

"Do not speak that way to my wife." He ordered. My eyes flew open in a mixture of shock and hatred.

"Wi-wife?!" I stammered. She looked at him and he looked with eyes full of…what…adoration?! I gagged, which snapped the attention to me again.

"Father and Ami were married a few years ago." Yuri explained. My focus turned to my three brothers who stared back, except for Rhuai. He was staring this Ami bitch with a strange expression. I almost couldn't name it…almost.

"Now Suma, it is time for you to rejoin the family and help us finally win this war." My father exclaimed with lustful eyes. He wanted to win so badly it was disgusting.

"There's no way in hell I will ever help you!" My father was going to retort, but had a coughing fit.

"Suma, it is your duty to help this family." Rhuai said as Ami helped the old man drink some water…but water doesn't smell like that… "You will use the Reidou to kill the head family of the other clan."

"I have absolutely no duty to this family, other than revenge for my mothers death!" I lunged toward the sickly man but was stopped by Ari and Yuri.

"Get her out of here," Father ordered. "Take her to clear her head a bit."

"You dare threaten the king?" Ami said in astonishment. I was being dragged from the room by the twins but my glare never left Rhuai's eyes.

"I see no king. Only a sick fool who's too blinded by power to realize his whore and golden son are slowly killing him." With that, I was thrown out into the courtyard.

"Suma…" Ari started.

"Behave, please." Yuri finished.

"You know that he's being poisoned and you are doing nothing?!" I asked incredulously. They were walking me down a familiar hallway, probably to my room like the bad little girl I was.

"Dad isn't himself lately…"

"He's dangerous and a threat to our clan." Oh really, when did that start? Before or after her brutally murdered our mother?!

"So you are going to let Rhuai kill him and then take his place?" What idiots…

"Yes." They said without hesitation.

"Whatever is best for the clan." Ari finished.

"And what does Kyo think about this?" They both fell silent and pushed me ahead a little further… I forced them to stop and they wouldn't look at me.

"Yuri! Ari!" Still nothing. "Where is KYO?!"

X-X-X-X-X

The twins led me to a small room and untied my hands. Yuri slowly unlocked the door as Ari closed his eyes and pulled me closer to him, like something was going to attack me. We all walked into the room together.

"Oh my god…" Was all I could say as I looked at the broken man in front of me. It was Kyo, that was certain, but everything was wrong. Where there should be beautiful blonde hair was nothing but a tangled, greasy mess. His entire body was covered in a fine layer of blood and dirt and he was very thin. Extremely thin. But what shocked me the most was the fact that when I searched for his sky blue eyes I found only a white piece of cloth. He turned his entire on the cot and faced us directly.

"Who's there?" He asked in a weak and broken voice. My breathing hitched in my throat and tears threatened to spill. "Yuri and Ari…and.." He sat up straighter as he searched for my breathing, my pulse, my smell.

"Kyo…" I barely whispered but his body jumped like I had shocked him.

"Suma!" He croaked. I broke free of Ari's grip and jumped onto my favorite brother. My arms wound around his breakable waist and I nuzzled into his dirty chest. He brought up his right hand and stroked my hair. His left arm was dead.

Yuri closed the door behind him and stood next to his twin, giving Kyo and I some freedom. It took me a minute to realize that I was sobbing.

"Shh Suma. Hush.." Kyo attempted to soothe me but it didn't work.

"Kyo, who…when?? WHY?!" I couldn't speak right. My once so-powerful brother being reduced to ashes was too much…Just too much for me to handle.

"Hush Suma. I will tell you, but you must calm down. If Father or Rhuai catches you three down here there will be much trouble. Now shhh." Slowly I began to stop the sobs and regulate my breathing, but the tears would not stop. Kyo shifted so I was next sitting next to him, his right are gently stroking mine, his left arm lying useless. My arms were still wrapped around his taunt waist and I hid my face in his chest. "It was three years ago. Father wanted to send hunter-nin after you. I tried to stop him and Rhuai…" My brother trailed off, allowing me to fill in the blanks.

"So it's my fault…" Everything was my fault, wasn't it? My mother's death, Itachi's disappearance, Kyo's shattered form… The thought of Itachi brought back more tears and I sobbed once.

"No Sumie." He attempted to assure me, even using my old nickname. "It is ours, for allowing Father to become this twisted. And for allowing Rhuai to control him." Yuki and Ari slumped to the floor together and I glared at them. Then I saw how tired they were and my sisterly instincts wanted to show their heads. But I buried them once again.

"Why didn't you stop them?!" I demanded to know from the twins. Surely they could have saved Kyo from this horrible fate.

"Suma!" Kyo scolded me. "They went off to find you and keep you safe. I faced Father and Rhuai alone."

"And now they are working with them!" I yelled, anger filling my voice.

"No, they are not. They are my eyes and ears. Keeping me connected to what is going on. They have been helping me since day one."

"We couldn't tell you before Sumie." Yuri explained sadly.

"Sorry baby." Ari finished. I glared at them and they looked sadly up at me, suddenly seeming much older than they were.

"It's the truth Suma, they are still loyal to me…to our mother." My eyes filled with even more tears and I reached toward my brothers. They both grabbed my small hand and weakly smiled.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Now Suma, tell me what you have been up to." Kyo asked after a long peaceful silence. The twins had left a few minutes ago to check on Father and the bastard Rhuai, leaving Kyo and I alone. We were now lying side by side on his small cot as he stroked my face. "I wish I could see how beautiful you have become."

"I'm not beautiful…" I said.

"But Suma, you are. Even I am not that blind. You are powerful and grown…and so much like her…"

"I had help… I.." I stopped short, wondering just how much I should tell my brother. With a sigh I launched into my story, summarizing the past 5 years or so. I told him everything about the Akatsuki and my year with them. My throat grew thick as I remembered Itachi, so I decided not to linger too long at the man I…loved? Was that what it was? I was too tired to go into deep into that thought. More silence as Kyo went over everything I told him.

"I have missed so much in your life…" The door opened slowly and I jumped upright. Yuki and Ari stood in the door way.

"Sorry Sumie, but you have to leave now."

"Father can't know you've seen Kyo." I hugged my favorite brother closer to me for a few moments before letting him go completely.

"It wont be like this forever Suma." He assured me walked away from him.

"What are you planning to do?" I asked quietly.

"We were going to wait until father finally died before overthrowing Rhuai, but your arrival changed that. We will have to act sooner." Ari answered.

"Much sooner." Yuri responded. Great, I was messing everything up…again…

"When?" I whispered. Kyo's almost lifeless eyes stared into mine.

"Tomorrow."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

**I know I have no excuse for being this tardy other than my stupidly busy life. Plus I've been a bad person and got grounded…sorry!**

**I will totally finish this like in the next chapter or two, plus my other stories!! PLEASE STAY WITH ME!!!**


	9. Atonement

I awoke to a disgustingly familiar room. It was my old bedroom… I sat up from the large mattress that rested on a black squat stand. The sheets were grey and dark blue and the filmy curtain that fell from the ceiling and around the bed was stained with age. There were paintings of butterflies on almost everything. It was a childhood obsession of mine. The only door was to my right, along the wall that was made of numerous closets. The wall to my left was peeling and stained. And everything in my old room was covered with a thick layer of dust. I guess that they didn't enter the room after I disappeared, and I liked that fact. The sheets must have finally been changed while I had been with Kyo last night.

A small gust of wind flew into the room from the small windows along the left wall. It swirled the dust up like a blizzard and had me shivering. I was no longer wearing my Akatsuki cloak…I looked around the room and it was no where in sight.

I couldn't believe how strangely everything ended up. My original plans had been drastically altered by those Akatsuki bastards, but it actually worked out for the best. I was free from that hell-hole and easily made it to the heart of my clan. I had my three favorite brothers on my side so it would be easy to kill my father. Besides, thanks to my other 'soon-to-be-dead' brother, my father was on death's door anyway. Everything in my life was almost working for once…

But as soon as this ray of hope ignited it was almost instantly overshadowed by a giant miasma of doubt. What if Rhuai won? What if father didn't die? What if I still wasn't strong enough?

I buried my hands in my face. God, why was all of this so complicated. I just wanted to lie down in a soft bed and never come back up. Never have to worry about revenge or death or blood-limits ever again.

A slight blush painted my cheeks as I realized just what bed I wanted to lie down in. Itachi's perfect face flooded my mind until I almost drowned in sorrow. His pale skin, soft hair and cold eyes were all I could see. Oh, and his perfect stone lips…

"Ugh!" I grunted as I rolled out of bed. Maybe that's what was killing me, the fact that I would probably never see Itachi again. The part of me that he had consumed was hollow without him here. I almost felt like less of a person…It would be strange to live without gravity, but in all honesty…did I expect to live after today?

Two sharp raps on my door shook me from my depressing thoughts and I looked up just in time to see that mousy-haired bitch Ami shuffle into my old room. I gave her a glare that could freeze beer and she glared back almost as coldly.

"The king wishes to see you in the throne room. You are to get dressed and go there immediately." She held out a large rectangular box. It was open and revealed a very beautiful green kimono with golden stitching.

"What's that for?" I asked stupidly which caused her to furrow her eyebrows.

"You need to wear something fitting a princess." She snapped, not trying to keep the contempt from her voice.

"He's not a king and I'm not wearing that shit." I stated simply. A blush of anger colored her face but she didn't leave like I expected her to. Damn persistent bitch.

"If you do not follow my orders then I will have to alert Rhuai to your rebellion." With deliberately slow movements I walked over to her and carefully lifted the dress out of the box. The kimono was breathtakingly beautiful and wonderfully soft. The sleeves were extra long, as was the train, and it came with a pale gold under robe. The obi was pale silver with dark green tints to it. I saw the girls' eyes widen in shock as she saw how beautiful it was. Hers was much prettier and much more expensive, but I still saw the green jealously flash before her stare.

I gave a low whistle of appreciation for the kimono's beauty and then…

_**RRRIIIPPPPPP!!!!**_

I began to tear it to shreds. Ami gasped and clutched at her heart, like the tiny thing were breaking as I tore the beautiful gown to ribbons. I grinned.

I know I should have thought about the consequences before I began to get all rip happy, but this small rebellion was just too much fun.

First of all, I really did need something to wear. I mean, I was currently wearing a thick black, zip-up vest and black pants, but the vest showed a lot of my stomach and the pants were almost thin and tight enough to be a second skin. I had no idea where my Akatsuki cloak was and my shoes were nowhere in sight.

Secondly, I had no weapons or armor and with the way I was currently acting, I was bound to get into a fight.

"You insolent little brat!" Ami barked at me as the last pieces of the ruined kimono slipped through my fingers and fell to the large pile on the floor. "How dare you ruin something given by the king. This is treason!!" A small idea flashed in my head and a smirk fell upon my lips. Flipping Ami the bird, I walked to one of my old closet doors and opened it.

I pulled out some nameless piles of fabric in my search until I finally found it. With wide eyes I pulled the wooden box out of the closet and laid it carefully on my bed. I barely noticed when Ami stomped from the room, not that I really cared. My hands gently stroked the hard wood before I slowly opened it. Inside the box, perfectly preserved was a neatly folded outfit. I remember the day I had stolen it from the trash.

My father had ordered my mother to destroy all things from her formal life so her non-clan blood could be hidden better. But the 7 year old me couldn't stand to see something so beautiful die. So I took it before supper one night, hiding it in the secret box Kyo had given me for my birthday earlier that year.

I silently slid off my black pants, opting to keep the vest on as a sort of armor. I stepped into the smooth grey fabric and pulled the bunched kapri pants up. The shirt was a ¾ sleeved dark blue kimono top that ended just below my hips. I tied that closed with a thick roll of white fabric. After I was all put together I slipped into a simple pair of black flats and went to close the box. Loud footsteps bounded in the hall, coming closer by the second. I swiftly slid my last surprise into the secret pocket of comfy pants and closed the box just as Yuri stomped into the room.

"Suma! Ami says you have been disobeying her and refusing to get dressed." I turned to face my brother. Ami was standing right behind him with the strangest look on her face… Like a kid waiting to get a present… she wanted Yuri to punish me.

She was going to be disappointed.

"I don't know what you mean. I am dressed." I said smugly, giving Ami a little smirk. Her plain eyes popped open in shock and she finally looked me over from head to toe.

"Ami, you said that Suma refused to get dressed, yet here she is." Yuri said.

"B-but, she didn't…" My smirked widened as Ami blushed in embarrassment.

"Ami, I think you might need to take a nap or something." I offered, holding back a giggle.

"But sh-she was…where did…" She looked me up and down in utter shock.

"Yeah, I think you've been working too hard. Why don't you hand Suma over to me and then get some rest." Yuri said to her, turning his gaze from me. Her eyes flickered with a glare to mine mine, so I gave her a little wink.

"But the kimono! She completely ruined the priceless kimono the king had given her!" The bitch pointed to the floor at Yuri's right and his eyes followed until he reached…bare floor.

"What kimono?" He asked with genuine stupidity. Ami gasped as she realized that there wasn't a green scrap in sight. Did I mention I had a knack for hiding objects in my room?

"How did you…?!" I swiftly walked to Yuri's side, giving Ami a pseudo-concerned look.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Are you feeling well?" I asked with obvious fakeness. Ami stared at me in disbelief as I walked past her and out the door. Yuri followed me and together we left the bitch alone in my old room

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The throne room was empty, save for a few servants. I walked in and glanced at Yuri as he left. With a sigh I decided to look around the old 'family' place. The servants quickly disappeared and I was completely alone. I wondered around the room, occasionally touching the wall or pausing to stifle a tidal wave of painful memories that threatened to drown me. I walked past the raised platform that the flat throne rested on and wondered to the corner adjacent to it. It looked like just an empty space, but I knew better. I knelt down and knocked on the wood of the platform. Once I heard the hollow tap I gently pushed it forward revealing a tiny room. I crawled inside and sat on the cold floor. Had I shut the secret door the only light would have come from the small cracks in the wood. With my trained eyes I could see almost everything back in the throne room.

But even with weak eyes, you could see the main floor. This is where Kyo hid me while I watched my mother die.

I lurched forward, trying to escape from both the room and the vivid memories when I heard two voices enter the room. Sinking back into the cubby hole I watched in astonishment as Rhuai and Ami creeped into the room. She turned to face him.

"How much longer is it going to be? I won't be able to stand much more of this!" She whined like a child. I expected Rhuai to snap at her for speaking to him that way, so I was amazed when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She kissed back and soon they were slamming into the walls. I resisted the urge to barf.

"You should get father." Rhuai said after their little make-out session was over. And no, I didn't watch. Sick…

"Alright, but once he's dead I'd better get some expensive gifts for putting up with the old man. He's disgusting." She kissed him once more before turning to leave. Rhuai patted her on the ass and then the little slut left with a giggle. Once she was out of sight I watched as my hated brother stalked up to the platform and then disappeared from my sight, meaning he was on top of it.

"Probably sitting on the throne…" I thought with disgust. I probably should have stayed hidden in the cubby hole, but the days of me being a scared little girl were over. I silently crawled back into the throne room and closed the secret door. Then I leaned around the corner of the platform to get a good look at my brother. He was sitting on the throne with his eyes closed, a small smile on his lips. God he disgusted me.

"You really don't belong there." I said as I walked out in front of him. He jumped a little in surprise and glared down at me. I guess I had gotten stronger than I thought. Sneaking up on one of the best ninja of my clan was quite an accomplishment.

"How long have you been here?" He demanded to know.

"Long enough to see the show you and Ami put on." I replied smartly. He stood from the throne and jumped right in front of me.

"No one is going to save him." He warned me. To keep me from talking I imagine. "We have been plotting his death for months." I knew he wanted me to breakdown or cringe away from him, but I didn't move.

"I don't care."

"Nothing you do will save him. He is going to die."

"Good." I crossed my arms and tilted my head. "Saves me the trouble, doesn't it." Satisfied, my brother turned to take his place at the right of the throne. "But tell me, was it this easy with mom?" He froze in his place and turned slowly to face me, his expression deadly. But before either of us could do anything, the bitch walked in with Father, Yuri and Ari trailing behind them. Ami escorted father to his seat and helped him into it. Once he was seated, she took a spot on his left. Yuri and Ari found their places, as did Rhuai. Suddenly, I was the only one standing. Father suddenly had a huge coughing fit. It took him several minutes and a long drink of water to calm him back down. I felt my insides twisting in a mixture of disgust and sorrow. Slowly the old man looked at me with unfocused eyes. They opened in shock, his mouth along with them.

"Hi-hitomi?!" He whispered my mothers name in agony. "N-NO! Be gone ghost!! Leave me be!!" I watched in wonder as the once-great man shrunk back against his throne and and paled, wishing me away.

"Father!" Yuri shouted over his babblings. "Father this is Suma, not Hitomi!"

"It's just Suma, your daughter." Ari agreed with his twin, but father was not subdued.

"Devil woman! Come back to haunt me! Rhuai, most favored son, PROTECT ME!!" He latched unto Rhuai and quivered like a child but his clouded eyes did not leave my own green ones.

"Suma," Rhuai glared at me as he attempted to push father away. "Speak to him. Make him understand that it's you and not Hitomi." He yelled as he finally managed to settle father back into his chair. His bottom lip still shook and his eyes began to form tears. God, he was so weak it made me sick... "SUMA!"

"No." I growled, "No…I want him to suffer." I leaned closer to my aging father and tried my best to look like my mother. I guess I did a pretty good job because the great king began to cry uncontrollably.

"Suma, stop this at once!" Rhuai ordered as he attempted to restrain Father, who began to shake. My pale hands reached up towards the man and my eyes narrowed. "Yuri, Ari get her out of here!" But they didn't move. I opened my mouth to speak and everyone froze.

"Kido…" I whispered. Kido was my father's first name and he shivered. "Kido…what have you done?" My slight frame almost towered over the shaking mess of a man on the ground. "Why did you kill me Kido?"

"Hitomi…" Snow white hands covered his sobbing face. "Hitomi, why do you haunt me this way… I'm sorry love, I'm sorry." A cackling, hysteric laugh filled the room and it took me a moment to realize that it had come from me.

"_LOVE?!_" I hissed. "Your black heart does not know the meaning of the word!" He flinched behind his hands and didn't speak, so I reached over and snapped them down, forcing him to look into my eyes…My mother's eyes. A fresh wave of tears swept down his cheeks and in the deepest pit of my broken heart I felt a sting of pity for the weeping man. But that sting was quickly overshadowed by the memory of my mother's death. The memory swept over me like a wave and left nothing but fresh hatred. I lost myself to it…

"Wh-what do you want from me?" He barely whispered. I placed his chubby head between my bare hands and held it still so he could not move.

"Atonement." Almost of its own accord my Reidou began to suck the man's life away. The lights in his pale eyes were just beginning to flicker when my back crashed into the wall. When I refocused I was 20 feet away from the throne, bound to the wall by the twins. My father slumped against the throne and didn't move. Ami looked at me with wide, tearful eyes and Rhuai looked from my father to me with a mix of loathing and astonishment. I could almost see the lust of power that filled his dark eyes as he looked at me.

"Suma. You have grown…" He said in an almost admiring tone. The sudden realization of what I had just done, or attempted to do, had me instantly feeling sick and struggled against my brothers. The alarm was going off in the back of my head again.

"Let me go." I pleaded quietly so that only they heard, but they did not comply. Rhuai stood up and pulled out a long sword. As he walked toward me, my struggles increased, but the twins didn't flinch. "Le-let me go!" I pleaded a little louder. Rhuai stopped 10 feet in front of me and pointed the sharp metal straight at my face.

"Your Reidou has greatly improved Suma. I am very impressed."

"Ami." He snapped and the bitch snapped to attention. With stunning speed, she produced a long braid of rope and bound the king's hands together behind the back of the throne. Then she stepped away with a slight smile, her face was still pale as snow. Rhuai looked into my hate-filled eyes for a few moments before turning his back to me, the tip of the sword now pointing at the defenseless old man. My struggles increased.

"What are you doing?!!" I screamed. Yuri and Ari pushed me farther into the wall as Rhuai brought the hand holding the weapon back. "NO!! STOP!!"

But it was too late.

For an instant the flying metal whooshed through the air and then implanted itself right into my father's heart. I heard the sickening squelch as the sword pierced through his chest and imbedded into the back of the throne, trapping the now-dead king. The rusty smell of blood filled the air and almost made me vomit.

"Let me go." I whispered to no one. My father gazed at me with lifeless eyes and fought back a sob.

"You wanted him to suffer." Rhuai said with a small smile in his voice. Ami stalked to his side and looked over the dead man. Blood was now dripping onto the wooden floor.

"Let me go." My voice was empty and weak.

"You wanted atonement." Drip, drip, drip… He turned to face me with a large, disturbing smile on his face. "Welcome to the family Suma."

"**LET ME GO!**" I screamed in a voice that could not be denied. Reidou forced my brothers to comply with my demand and I fell to the floor. A single tear fell to the ground before I sprinted to the large wooden door to the right of the throne. I slid it open with rage heavy my veins and….

Froze.

Just outside of the throne room, in the garden, stood three men in long black cloaks with red clouds on them. Pein was standing in the middle, a small smirk playing on his lips. Kisame was to his right with a woman I have never seen before on his left.

"Just in time." Rhuai said from behind me.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

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